Promises to Keep
by UsayImaDreamer
Summary: Set after Chapter 3 in New Moon. FINISHED. Edward has broken promises to Bella and leaves her. A story about fixing what is broken and becoming complete, no matter the obstacles. My first story, please REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

_The woods are lovely, dark and deep.  
But I have promises to keep,  
And miles to go before I sleep,  
And miles to go before I sleep._

_-Robert Frost_

There was a cold stillness in the air, hanging thick like fog in the silence that surrounded her. Alice Cullen took a deep breath, not that she needed to but because it helped her when she was about to focus. She was deep in the forest somewhere in the Midwest. Since the Cullen's departure from Forks back in September, the family had scattered. Alice and Jasper had stayed with Carlisle and Esme for a while, and then they ventured out on their own. But inevitably the loss of her closest brother began to take its toll on her. Frustrated and reluctant, Jasper finally allowed her to track Edward, only after she had promised to return as soon as she found that he was safe.

It didn't take Alice long to find her brother. He had been trying to track Victoria but after losing her trail multiple times he grew angry, defeated, and secluded himself to the scattered but numerous forests of the central US. Alice kept her distance once she found him but had trouble keeping her promise to Jasper. Physically Edward was surviving- he was feeding off deer and small animals in the preserves but he felt restless. And though she never got close enough to see it in his eyes, he was radiating an icy armor of anguish. If Alice's heart were still beating she was sure it would break. She had been tailing him for two days now, not quite sure how to approach him and begin to convince him to come stay with her and Jasper.

Now here she was, in a dark clearing in the snowy woods of Wisconsin, alone with her thoughts. _How did we end up here? _She wondered. Only a few months ago they had all been at peace and now they were hiding. Edward had been happy finally, finding his soul mate after so many years. And Bella- Alice felt a pang of regret and sadness when her human friends came into her thoughts. Sweet Bella, innocent and now tainted by the mere existence of Alice and the Cullens. Falling in love with Edward was not something Alice had immediately foreseen, but the bond between her brother and her friend had grown stronger in a way none of the family could have imagined. This all wouldn't have happened like this if they had just changed her when she wanted them to.

But Alice knew Edward would change her when he felt the time was right- she had seen it. That future was erased from her vision now. In fact, it had been a while since she had checked in on Bella's future. Being so far away, it was hard for her to focus her sight on Bella, but with enough effort she could catch glimpses perhaps. So she steadied herself in the clearing, took a deep breath, and let her eyes slide out of focus.

The sight in Alice's mind was murky and gray. After several seconds, dark shadows started rushing past her as though she were literally running through this fog in her mind. Suddenly the shadows began to slow and the scene froze all together. To her left was the closest figure, a dark shadow that lay curled up on the ground. It took all of her power to push her mind closer to this shadow- she felt certain this was Bella.

The closer she got, the clearer Bella's figure became. Slowly, the setting began to fill in around her. Bella's bed beneath her, the baby blue coloring of her bedroom walls, the window on the far side of the room- nothing seemed extraordinarily out of place. Alice pushed closer to the bed. Bella had her arms wrapped around her torso, her face was a startling shade of white, and tears were wet upon her cheeks. Her CD player was playing a mournful tune that Alice could not recognize. Was this a vision of Bella's future? It felt so strong and sad for Alice- surely this vision was not accurate. If anything, this was Bella's past. It had been months since the family had left- Bella could not still be in such pain. Could she?

A familiar presence fell over the clearing where Alice stood causing her to loose focus of her vision. Bella lying on her bed, clutching her stomach in pain, was quickly ripped from her mind. He had found her and she quickly needed to take her mind off the vision she had just seen- no reason to upset her brother even further.

Food. Alice filled her mind with thoughts of endless buffets and delicious dishes that she had caught at some point on TV.

"Hello Alice," Edward's low voice came from the west side of the clearing. Alice turned. With her mind nearly clear she could see him obviously now, leaning against the thick trunk of the nearest oak.

"Edward. Nice seeing you here in the lovely woods of Wisconsin." She grinned, hoping he would see the feasts forming in her mind and catching the light-heartedness in her voice.

He moved quickly from the shadows and suddenly he was in front of her, grimacing. "Please Alice … what are you doing here?"

"Well I was thinking about you this afternoon and I said to-"

"You've been following me for days," he interrupted. He began to circle her, his eyes full of annoyance and irritation. "Don't bother lying to me. I'd appreciate it if you just told me the truth and stopped hiding your mind by… why are you thinking about food?" He stopped his circling, almost smiling. "How dumb do you think I am?"

Alice sighed, folding her arms over her chest. She stopped thinking of food and let her mind feel empty for once. "You already know that answer so why bother asking?"

Edward snorted. "I'm sorry but I'm not ready to come back yet. You should probably just get back to Jasper. I'm sure you've kept him worrying for two days too long now." He mimicked her stance. They stood in silence for a moment, her defensive eyes staring into his dark, shielded gaze.

Abruptly, Alice broke the stare-down, admitting defeat. She allowed the memories of the past months without her family to fill her mind. Edward winced, dropping his stiff pose and immediately he felt guilty. The sense of pain and loneliness he saw in Alice's mind burned his consciousness. How could he be responsible for breaking the strong bonds that Carlisle and Esme had brought to their family?

"Alice, I am truly sorry for the hurt I've caused… am causing the family. I never intended for that, believe me." His confession was sincere.

"I know you didn't Edward but it's happened. I'm tired of us being broken. I'm tired of living like a nomad. And I miss my brother." They exchanged a glance. "Come back to us Edward." It was barely a whisper but the way she pleaded for him caused his face to contort as if he were in pain.

"Alice…" he hesitated, wanting to choose his next words carefully. "Even if I did, it wouldn't be the same. I'm never going to be the same."

Alice considered this. Things could be different though. He just made the wrong choice. If they went back to Forks, if he changed his mind, and went to see-

"That's not going to happen Alice." He gritted his teeth. "You know that can't happen."

"I know it seems hard Edward, and I understand your reasons for doing what you did, but you're a mess. This… choice you've made- it's killing you. Can't you see that?" Alice was begging now, something she was not accustomed too and it felt strange. Seeing her struggle like this caused the corners of his mouth to twitch. If this were any other time, about anything else, it would have been funny.

Edward didn't know what to say. Part of him knew that he owed it to his family, to Carlisle and Alice especially, to go back. It would be painful, yes, but certainly it couldn't get more painful than this lonely existence he was dooming himself to in these snowy woods. Pain… the sensation rang through him like electricity, sparking from Alice's mind to his own. An image of Bella and… pain.

His eyes flashed towards hers and just as soon as he glimpsed the vision she blocked it from her mind.

"Let me see that," he growled, his lip curling back.

Alice didn't feel threatened by his tone. She knew his reaction was simply out of concern but she could not fill his mind with this image of Bella. That wasn't why she had come. Now that she was aware of her mortal friend's condition, she resolved to make a trip to Forks… just as soon as she reached her goal here.

"You're trying to bribe me?" Edward asked, incredulous. "She looked hurt, Alice, now let me see what you saw." He snarled now, the growls building up in his chest.

"Only after you promise to come with me back to Carlisle and Esme." Alice prompted, hands on her hips.

Edward's anger did not cease. His frustration with Alice grew, ready to explode. But he took a moment to calm himself first. "You're positive that she's not in any immediate danger?" He asked, his voice quieter now that he let the outburst pass.

"Would I be standing here begging for you to come home if she were?" Alice questioned, her innocent eyes hiding her opinion. She wished she could tell Edward that he had broken Bella. That she'd been surviving (barely) yet broken and empty and was in constant danger of falling off the edge since that day he had left her in the woods. But Alice blocked this from her mind. The truth would not help anyone today.

He sighed, resigned and letting his lonely exhaustion fill his face. "Ok… I'll come back. But if it-"

"It won't be." Alice interrupted, grabbing her brother's arm in victory. "Now let's get started while it's still dark."


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: **These wonderful and beautiful characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm just borrowing them for the moment to cure my creative curiosities.

Bella lay very still on the driftwood log. Her porcelain skin which normally shone brightly in the sun now looked closer to the sallow albino white she had always joked about. Her face was a slight shade of grey while her cheeks and eyes looked sunken in- all together Bella looked seriously ill. She couldn't remember the last time she had smiled; if asked to laugh, she'd probably have forgotten that as well.

The light had gone out from her life five months ago and she was still fumbling around in the darkness, grasping desperately for something familiar. But what she needed had abandoned her with an overwhelming finality back in the fall. The months that followed the Cullen's swift departure were pure agony and slow torture for Bella. Every morning she woke up, went through the motions of another day, was polite and well mannered at school and towards Charlie. But the moment her head hit the pillow at night were the worst parts of Bella's days.

Crawling into bed, she left her window open (just in case) and shivered as she tried not to slip into nightmares night after night. But it was impossible. Every night she dreamt of _him_, every night he kept his back towards her in the woods, and every night he kept walking away. There were nights she woke up, screaming his name into the darkness, hoping maybe one night he would hear her heart breaking and return. And every morning there was the same sinking feeling when she woke to the open window and empty bed beside her.

Poor Charlie must think she was going insane. "I know I'm going insane," Bella muttered to herself. If there was anything she could say to comfort Charlie, she wouldn't even know where to begin. It wasn't his fault she had become so morose, and there wasn't really much she could do to not feel this way. Sometimes at night Bella would fall asleep wishing she would not be able to wake the next morning. It was easy to feel selfish in the dark, alone with her brokenness. By morning she would feel guilty again, thinking of Charlie and Renee and how she had to keep up her charade for them.

All she wanted was to feel happy again. She wanted to stop feeling like she was drowning in this empty new life- this life without _him_. And since she knew this was impossible, all she could hope was for her danger magnet to start kicking in and somehow wipe her out by natural law.

"It's been five months and I haven't even bruised myself," Bella continued to mumble to herself, holding up one hand to shield hey eyes from the afternoon sun. "I'm pretty sure my danger magnet disappeared with…"

Saying his name was painful. Thinking about him was painful. Simply imaging his chiseled face and deep honey eyes was incredibly painful. But the idea of not thinking of him at all… that would be more painful than anything she could imagine. To simply _forget_ would be the cruelest punishment of all.

Suddenly Bella did not need her hand to block out the sun. A personal sun blocker by the name of Jacob Black was towering over her.

"Bells, how long have you been down here by yourself?" Jacob asked, staring down at her.

Bella sat up, shrugging her shoulders. "Does it really matter?" Jacob just stared at her. She sighed. "I'm sorry Jake. I don't mean to be… you know. But it's just so hard to… you know? Maybe if everything wasn't so… I don't know." Bella mumbled, twisting a protruding weed from the log in her hand to occupy her attention.

"Uh-huh. Yeah. And that makes a _lot_ of sense." Jacob bit his lip thoughtfully and decided to join her on the log. "Bella, I'm worried about you."

Bella snickered. "Join the club. I'm worried about me too. So is Charlie. And Renee. And-"

"Cut it out. I'm serious. You're out here on the beach, alone, talking to yourself about nonsense… I know I'm no expert but there's something just not right here." Jacob spoke forcefully towards her, turning his body to face her as he spoke and placing an arm around her neck.

"It's… hard to explain Jake. Trust me, it's… complicated." Bella whispered, leaning into Jacob's side.

"Well, it's Saturday and I'm pretty sure I have enough time in my schedule for a complicated story." He gave her shoulder a squeeze. "I promise I'll keep my comments to myself. Seriously."

Bella sighed. Jake was her closest friend now. In fact, he was the only friend she had left. Part of her felt terrible for the way she was acting. These people didn't deserve her attitude- they didn't do anything to hurt her.

As if he could read her mind, Jake said, "I just think that you could keep me out of the dark, ya know? I've been here for you, every weekend for the past few months and you've barely said a word to me. And I'm ok with that, cuz I care about you." He paused to take a deep breath. "But I want you to know you can talk to me Bells. I want to listen."

"You're right, I know." Bella paused, not even knowing where to begin. "What do you want to know?"

Jacob apparently wanted to know a lot and he began listing them instantly. "Why that Cullen kid just decided to up and leave you, literally in the middle of nowhere. Did you guys have a fight?" Jake asked, bristling at the memory of Bella being carried by Sam out of the woods.

"Sort of. He decided that us being together wasn't… safe. And he told me he didn't want me anymore."

Like she had been holding her breath, finally saying those words felt like a gasp of fresh air. The floodgates opened behind her eyes and immediately her vision blurred. Why hadn't she talked to Jake earlier? Getting this out felt like a beautiful release.

Jake almost recoiled from Bella's confession. "That's impossible. You guys were in love, right? And what do you mean, he wasn't safe for you? Bella, did he… do anything to you?" Jake pulled away from her and stared into her eyes as if he would find the truth mixed in with her tears.

"No! No, not like that. At all, honestly. It's just… well if you don't already think I'm crazy then you will for sure when I tell you this."

Jacob stared back at her, a little more relieved but still patient. "I swear I won't think you're crazy."

"Well, remember that story you told me that first day I really met you… well, here I guess." Jacob nodded, not sure how her story began there. "See, you told me that whole Quileute legend about the cold ones… remember that one?"

"Sure. And I told you that Billy thought the Cullen's were the same…" Jacob trailed off, realization dawning on him at that moment. His mouth hung open.

"Well, he was sorta right. They're vampires, Jake. All of them. And the reason he left me is because he doesn't want to be with me for forever. And _that_ is why I've felt so empty inside these past few months. I can't really be whole because I gave part of myself to him. Understand? Jake? Jacob?" Bella snapped her fingers in front of his face.

He shook his head. "What? Yeah, no I heard you. Wow." Jake took a deep breath. "That's kind of intense Bells."

She shrugged again. "Tell me about it."

They sat in silence for a while, both deep in thought. Bella didn't feel too pressured to supplement this truth about the Cullens, or even justify to Jake why she still loved _him_. Jacob was just like that; he would never push her to explain herself or her heart. After some time just staring at the shore, Jake heaved a sigh.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I always knew there was some sort of truth to those stories, but this…" His mind wandered off.

"Tell me what you're thinking Jake," Bella quipped. She stared at him, almost seeing his mind whirring behind his big, dark eyes.

"It's just, if that story's true, I'm wondering if all the others are too. I just always thought they were… made up."

"What are you talking about? What other stories are there?" Maybe it was her selfish side emerging but Bella couldn't imagine what other stories could be more important right now.

Jake shook his head, his long dark hair shaking down his back. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's nothing," he said curtly, standing up quickly, causing Bella to fall slightly to the side without his support. "Look, I've got stuff to do today, Bella. I can't just sit around with you and talk about your… vampire issues or whatever it is you've got going on."

Bella stood up too, complete confusion taking over. "What? Jake, what… what did I say?"

"Nothing Bella. Just… you worry about your problems and I'll worry about mine. Just do me a favor, don't bother coming back down until you're ready to be normal, ok?" Jake's voice had risen and his eyes flashed before he turned and stalked off towards the road.

Bella stood very still, wanting to call after him but realizing she couldn't get a word past the blockage in her throat. She had finally opened up to someone, sharing this enormous secret about someone she loved and now she was more alone than ever. The one friend she had left didn't want to hear her talk about her problems. And she had no idea what she did or said to make Jake so angry.

After several minutes of standing in shocked silence she dragged herself to the road, her spirits now lower than they had been since September. Bella couldn't help but feel herself slipping further into her depressive state. How much longer before she'll just fall off completely?

**A/N: **Thanks for taking the time to read my story this far! Please take another quick moment and review for me- I'd really appreciate it. And definitely let me know if you like how this has started!!


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: These wonderful and beautiful characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer

**DISCLAIMER: **These wonderful and beautiful characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm just borrowing them for the moment to cure my creative curiosities.

**A/N: **Thanks for taking the time to read and review my story!! That's partly what keeps my writing going : )

It only took a day and a half for Alice and Edward to make the journey from the Wisconsin woods to the cabin where Alice and Jasper had been staying for the past few weeks. They had been occupying a vacant cottage on the edge of the Rocky Mountains. It wasn't exactly the place to stay out of the sun but the location was fairly isolated. As long as they were attentive, Alice did not foresee any "accidents" in the area.

Edward did not speak much on the trip. He was consistently tempted to turn and run the opposite direction every time he seriously thought about the decision he made to come with Alice. But there was hope sparkling in Alice's eyes whenever he looked at her- a reassuring happiness that he had come to miss these past months. It was this and the fact that he wanted to know more about Alice's vision of Bella. If he simply turned and ran away, he would be even more tempted to run straight to Forks to check on her, thus breaking his promise to her when he left.

They ran through the last hundred miles quickly. Alice had never been so anxious to see Jasper; it was all Edward could hear for the better part of the day. Suddenly they broke through the trees to a meadow that reminded Edward painfully of being with Bella. He pushed harder towards the far end of the damp field to the tiny cottage resting at the base of a steep hill.

"Nice and cozy, eh?" he grinned, glancing back at Alice.

"It's perfect. And for some reason, it hardly ever snows. It falls further up on the hills." She was slowing now with the cabin coming upon them immediately. Edward glanced up at the picturesque background of the foothills covered in snow and pine trees.

He could see Jasper leaning against the railing on the small porch of the cabin. A chill of guilt rocked through Edward and then it was gone. He and Alice fell to a regular walk and she practically danced her way delicately up the steps to put her hands around Jasper's neck.

"Look what I found," she smiled at Jasper's stone face and they both turned to look at Edward, standing a few feet away from the steps.

"It's great to see you Edward." Jasper's face finally broke from serious into a smile and he escaped Alice's grasp to step forward and reach out to Edward. "I'm glad Alice found you."

They stepped back and looked at each other. "Well I wouldn't be here if she wasn't so convincing." The tension that Edward had anticipated upon seeing Jasper again began to trickle away. A calm settled between them and while Edward was sure Jasper had something to do with that he was still extremely grateful.

"Ah, yes. She was getting miserable without you. Everyone has been actually," Jasper confided. He turned to Alice. "Rosalie and Emmett stopped in just after you left. I told them where you'd gone and they said they'd be back around in a few days to check up." He looked back at Edward. "They'll be thrilled to see you."

"Rosalie and Emmett? Where have they been around?" Edward asked, intrigued. It occurred to him that he had never seen his family so separate and scattered. The reality of that idea made him feel sad and completely responsible.

"They weren't really specific, just wandering, you know." Jasper paused and glanced at Alice.

Edward could see that they wanted some time alone and, judging from their thoughts, he was the topic of their discussion, so he spoke first. "Well, I'm going to hunt. I've been in the mood for some good game. Midwest deer are just so weak," he explained, a smile appearing on his face for the first time since their arrival.

Alice noted that she had overlooked the blackness in his eyes and the shadows beneath them in her haste to get him home. "Sure. If you head out that way for a few miles you'll find some mountain lion, I'm sure."

Edward grinned, ready for the challenge. "I'll be back later." He turned to take off but paused and turned towards Alice. "I won't leave, I promise you." And he took off running in the direction she had indicated, ready to get lost in the hunt and give in to his overwhelming blood lust.

As soon as he was in the trees and out of sight, Jasper turned to Alice, his face slightly pained.

"You were waiting for us, weren't you?" Alice smiled at him. "I told you I could get him to listen."

"I could feel his pain from thirty miles away," Jasper whispered. Alice's smile fell from her face. "I'm not so sure he's ready to be back yet Alice." Alice opened her mouth to protest. "I want us all to be together and happy again as much as you do, but it's not going to be as easy as you want it to be."

But Jasper knew that Alice already knew this. And there must have still been something in the future that kept her optimistic, otherwise what was the point of furthering Edward's pain? A silence fell between them for a moment.

"Alice, you don't think Edward still holds me to blame for the way things happened, do you?" Jasper asked quietly, looking away from her as shame took over his expression. While he sensed that he had been generally forgiven by most of the family, he could not help feel partly responsible for Edward's decision.

Alice shook her head. "The pain he bears is not towards you or the accident, Jas." She reached for Jasper's face and turned it towards her own, running her hand down the side of his cheek. "We all make mistakes Jasper. We are all weak sometimes. But we also forgive each other."

"But I can't help but doubt-"

"Don't. Don't even think it. He would feel worse if he knew you were trying to shoulder the blame. I know it's hard but we have to try." Alice spoke softly but firmly, hoping she was getting through to Jasper.

He nodded slowly and pulled her close to him, burying his face in her hair and breathing her scent in deeply. "What would I do without you?"

Edward had run as quickly as possible from the couple. Being back in the presence of his family did feel good, he had to admit. Hearing other's thoughts also felt good for a change. But now he needed some time to think. He was curious about Rosalie and Emmett and wondered where Carlisle and Esme were. With Alice in charge it was only a matter of time before the whole family was back together. Edward wondered where they would go next. By far, he had felt the safest in Forks in all his eighty years but they couldn't go back there now… could they?

Unexpectedly Edward felt the overwhelming urge to race back to Forks, to crawl up the side of the Swann's quaint two-story and into Bella's window. He wanted so badly to check in on her, to make sure she was ok. Most of all, he wanted to pull her close to him, to wrap his long, cold arms around her waist and bury his face in the hollow beneath her throat. Edward's body ached for Bella; the desire for her scent was so strong he didn't know how much longer he could stay away like this.

_No_, he thought to himself. _Your being even near her is risking her life. You're not even worth it_. Of course he knew this already; it was the reason why he left her in the first place. That didn't make it any less painful to think about her though. Not one bit.

Edward's head whipped to the side; a chilling breeze carried the scent of the large prey Edward was searching for. He breathed in deeply. "Mmmm… mountain lion." He grinned, banishing all thoughts about Bella from his mind. His eyes turned the deepest onyx; throwing his head back wildly, he took off into the woods in pursuit.


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: These wonderful and beautiful characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm just borrowing them for the moment to cure my creative curiosities.

**A/N: **This is a split chapter- a bit of Bella's side and a bit of the Cullen's side. Let me know if you like this better than the whole switching off every other chapter style. And as always, I would appreciate ANY and ALL feedback!! Thanks!!

It had been a week since Bella's last trip to La Push. School was the same, unbearable task that it always was, but luckily Bella had caught some sort of flu bug that had been going around, cutting her week down to only three days instead of five. So she lay in bed those days, mostly in a haze of medication. The mental cloud provided a glorious relief of not feeling or necessarily thinking anything. She had no nightmares; rather her sleep was quiet and peaceful for the first time in a long time.

By the third day of her inactivity, Bella began to feel better. She had gone through her prescription pack and was able to actually get up and move around the house. She took care of whatever mess and clutter that had piled up from Charlie in the days she was in a medicated coma. It was Saturday again- a whole day ahead of her to clean and catch up. Unfortunately for Bella, Charlie was not quite so messy and by early afternoon all the dishes had been done, surfaces had been wiped clean, and the laundry had been caught up.

Bella sat at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. This was exactly the kind of boredom she feared. Being alone while Charlie was off fishing and Jake not returning her phone calls left Bella feeling the oncoming of a painful afternoon. Normally she could keep those itchy thoughts out of her head, at least until she went to sleep. But now, in the middle of the day with nothing to do, Bella simply wanted to embrace those memories.

She trudged up the stairs to her room, grabbed the saddest mix of songs she could find, with songs that would remind her of _him_, put it in her CD player and sunk down onto her bed. As the painful song began to play, Bella wrapped her arms around herself and waited to sink into the memories of _him._

_And if you have to leave  
I wish that you would just leave  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone_

Miles away, Rosalie and Emmett were just arriving back at the foot of the hills where the cabin was. Alice, Jasper, and Edward were already outside; Edward and Jasper were practicing their batting while Alice went running after the hits. The play stopped as they saw their brother and sister approaching.

"Rosalie!" Alice shouted happily, running to greet them. "Emmett! I'm so glad to see you!" Alice took her time embracing the two of them. It had been so long since she had seen them last and from the looks on their faces they were equally pleased to see Alice.

Edward hung back from the happy reunion. He wasn't trying to be rude, but he and Rosalie had parted on some harsh words. It wasn't evident yet if they were really happy to see _him_. Edward listened to their minds, trying to pick up any sort of lingering ill-wills but all he heard was happiness about being together. Then he heard Rosalie.

_Edward_.

She had turned to him without even speaking his name. Her expression was sad and serious. "I'm glad you came back."

"Really?" Edward asked in disbelief. Rosalie was not one to simply forget and move on, and she was incredibly convincing when she wanted to be.

Rosalie smiled. "Of course. This… is a good thing." She reached forward to hug him. "Besides, we all have some things to talk about now."

"What things?" Edward hesitated, listening again to the thoughts around him. He didn't hear so much as see an image flash through all of their minds. _Bella_. "Absolutely-"

"-not your call anymore," Emmett said, stepping between Rosalie and Edward. "Just relax Edward. This isn't just about you now, you know?" The growls that had begun in Edward's chest ceased. He looked confused, but he couldn't understand what Emmett was saying, or thinking for that matter. "Let's just get inside and talk, ok? Come on." And he put his arm around Rosalie's shoulders, leading her up the steps and into the cabin.

Edward stared after them, confusion still pooling in his mind.

"I'm just as surprised as you are, I promise," Alice said to him, her arms crossed over her chest. "I guess we should let them explain?"

She grabbed Jasper's hand and pulled him up the steps inside. After a second, Edward sighed and headed in to hear what Rosalie (of all people) could have to say about Bella.

Inside, he was instantly bombarded with a vision from Alice. She was standing very still, Jasper at her side watching her intently. Rosalie and Emmett did not seem concerned- but they could not see what Edward was seeing right now. In Alice's mind, Edward could see Bella, beautiful Bella, running through the forest very near to the meadow where they had shared so many confessions. The look on her face was pure panic and terror, her deep brown eyes wide with tears- it was an expression that caused Edward to shake. She began to scream before she tripped blindly over a fallen tree-

And as soon as it had begun it was over. Alice's vision ended like a cliffhanger. There was no explanation for what she had seen, there was no view of the predator- there was only the unnerving fear that Bella was in danger. The hair stood up on the back of Edward's neck and his body tensed. He was torn immediately between feeling sad and hopeless or angry and animalistic.

This all happened in under ten seconds. As Edward prepared to turn around and run out the door, Alice whispered to him, "Wait, Edward."

He hesitated, incredulous. "Are you seriously trying to stop me? Is there something I'm missing about what you just saw? Does that make _any_ sense to you?" Edward wanted to shout if it would get his haste across to his siblings any quicker. They simply exchanged glances with each other, none of them standing up or moving towards the door. "Will someone please explain what the hell is going on here?" He forced through his locked jaw.

After what felt like hours, Rosalie finally said, "Edward, Emmett and I went back to Forks this week."

Edward was apparently the only one who this information was news to. This was such an important thing, such a huge piece of information- how could he have missed this while he scanned their minds? _Because you've been a bit self-consumed, idiot. Quit thinking of yourself and maybe you'll hear what needs to be heard._

"Don't be hard on yourself," Alice murmured, reaching out to touch his arm reassuringly.

"The love of my existence is in trouble, which you all seem to already know, and I _should_ have known as well if only I were paying attention. Please, explain to me why I shouldn't hate myself right now?" Edward was angry. He wanted to throw something, maybe go outside and tear some of those pines down. But he knew there was no amount of damage he could cause to balance the pain he was feeling inside.

"Just calm down for a moment and let them explain what's going on, ok? I'll go back to Forks with you, you know that. But you have to know what's happening first," Jasper stood up finally, sort of taking Edward's side. If Alice seemed surprised by this decision she didn't show it.

Edward could see that his best chance at gaining support would be to simply listen. "You've got five minutes to catch me up, please," he added curtly.

Rosalie sighed. "I made Emmett go back to Forks with me because I had left some of my favorite jewelry in a drawer in my room, you know me. I didn't even want to check on Bella, to be honest with you."

"So what? I miss her. She was like, our little human pet," Emmett shrugged, a smile on his face at the thought of their little "pet".

Alice rolled her eyes. "Nice way to put it."

"_Anyways_, we tracked her in the woods for a little bit. From what I could track, she's there a lot, always wandering around and leaving her scent everywhere. She seemed so… lost. Like she was empty. She stopped a lot to cry for no reason. It was so… human," Rosalie pressed her lips into a thin line. It occurred to Edward that she was feeling bad for Bella, as images of her flooded his mind. He could see what Rosalie had seen in the forest that day and the vision of Bella alone in the woods torn at him.

"That's all we saw of her Edward, honest. After that we went straight to the house. But that's where it got worse." Emmett spoke, all joking aside now, his expression set and rigid. "It was a mess. Most of the windows were shattered; anything we had left there had been torn to pieces."

"What? Are you serious?" Edward whispered, imagining their beautiful home deep in the forest with its entire amazing floor to ceiling windows. Gutted. Destroyed. He looked towards Alice.

"I can't see the future for inanimate things, Edward. Even if I'd wanted to keep tabs on the house, I would have no idea how to connect with it," she explained, her voice sad.

"So how did something like that-"

_Werewolves_.

Rosalie thought it so quietly Edward wasn't sure if he'd heard her correctly. "Excuse me?"

"Their scent was all over the property. It reeked of something most foul," Emmett commented, his face scrunching up in disgust at the mere memory of it.

This information stunned Edward; he wasn't aware that the werewolf generations had continued in the Forks area since the last generation when Carlisle had originally visited. That was years and years before the family had come to live there. There hadn't been a whiff of a werewolf anywhere while they lived there peacefully, obeying their treaty and following the rules. And now, there were no vampires left in Forks and there were _werewolves_?

No matter how many times he thought it through, Edward couldn't stop shaking at this news. "How many?" he asked quietly.

"At least five. And Edward," Rosalie paused, unsure if she should tell her brother the most frightening fact, "they're young."

Edward didn't waste a single second. He turned to Jasper and motioned towards the door. "We need to leave _now_."


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: **Stephenie Meyer owns them. I just play w/them sometimes : )

**A/N**: Thanks for reviewing. I hope people like the story- but please, please, PLEASE take the one minute (or less) to review for me. How else can I know if I should keep writing it?? : ) Thanks!

The sound of hail pounding the windows woke Bella with a start. She tried to sit up but the darkness of her room disoriented her. Rubbing her eyes she glared at the glowing alarm clock. 10:00pm. How had she managed to sleep from 3 to 10? That was the kind of stunt she used to pull in November, not now.

She pulled herself out of bed, stretching her limbs that had become awkward and stuff in the position she had curled herself into. The hail had stopped by now- the only noise now was the light, regular pattern of rain. And there was no sound of the TV from downstairs. Odd, Bella thought Charlie would be home by now. He should be sitting in his armchair in the living room, watching whatever game was still on TV. But there wasn't a sound coming from below her. Maybe he was sick?

Hesitantly, Bella opened the door to her room and stared down the dark staircase. "Charlie?" she called.

Silence. A wave of panic swept through Bella. For the first time since _he_ had left she felt terrified and completely vulnerable. Her first instinct was to shut her door, go to her closet and try to hide herself under her dirty clothes. Childish, yes, but hiding was all Bella could come up with.

Instead of closing the door, however, Bella edged her way out into the tiny hallway. She paused, hoping her eyes would adjust but she couldn't make out anything past the bottom stair. _Wait_- was that a shadow that just moved down there?

After considering her options and possibilities for less than five seconds, Bella swallowed her fear and started down the stairs. What's the worst that could be waiting for her down there? And image of James' glaring red eyes flashed through her mind, followed quickly by an image of Victoria. While the thought chilled her, Bella knew in the back of her mind that this was what she had been waiting for since September. Hadn't she been hoping for danger to find her like this, threatening to end the meaninglessness that had become her life?

Bella reached the bottom of the stairs, reaching her hand along the wall to the right, feeling for the light switch. It happened very quickly- an icy cold grip clamped her wrist, twisted her arm behind her, trapping her. Icy breath tickled her neck, causing the hair on her arms to stand on end. Bella sucked in a deep breath and resisted the urge to struggle or even cry out.

Instead, she simply breathed out slowly and whispered, "I've been waiting for you."

Her confession was met with a low, feline hiss. "I doubt that sweetie."

Accelerating at full speed towards Forks, but still far away, were the Cullens. After the revelation at the cabin, Edward and Jasper had taken off almost immediately, Alice right behind them and Rosalie and Emmett bringing up the rear. Edward didn't think he could run as fast as he was going- his desire to reach Forks and save Bella kept him pushing harder. He was at such a speed that he didn't notice right away that Jasper had fallen back; he heard them call out twice for him to stop before he finally slowed. Why were they stopping? They could not physically tire, so what the hell was this holdup for?

He backtracked quickly and came to a small clearing where his family had gathered. "What? Why are we stopped?!" Edward could not conceal the anger in his voice. He looked at their concerned faces.

"We have another problem Edward," Alice whispered. "I don't know why I couldn't see it at first, but…" She trailed off, sadness across her face, disappointment in her voice.

And then Edward could see: Bella in her dark home, being attacked by a wild, red-haired _vampire_. _Victoria_.

"NO!" Edward's cry was so powerful and painful it shook the surrounding area and all the trees with it.

It took him a moment to stand and it took Emmett and Jasper to get him running again. And it was the image of Bella in the clutches of that beast to push him the last two hundred miles to Forks.

Back in the darkened Swann home, Victoria was pressing against Bella's back, moving her towards the kitchen. Victoria sniffed at Bella's exposed neck, issuing another hiss of disapproval. "You don't seem afraid, human. Haven't you learned by now what I can do to you?" She chuckled. "Correction, what I _am_ going to do to you."

But Bella had already accepted her fate. Maybe she would have been afraid if she didn't subconsciously want this. But she did want it, whatever the outcome: immortality or death. She was already at peace with this.

"Sure. So what are you waiting for? Get it over with."

Victoria growled. "Don't trivialize me child. I'm not just here to feed. There's a greater purpose for your destruction," she hissed, her fingers tracing along Bella's wrist. She found the outline of Bella's scar from her vampire run-in last year. "Tell me… did it give you pleasure to be bit by my soul mate? Did he play nice?"

It dawned on Bella that Victoria was being honest with her. She wasn't here for her regularly scheduled feeding time- she was here for vengeance. "So what if I did? Too bad he didn't get to finish the job," Bella taunted. She knew she really shouldn't be doing this. She could only imagine the pain that would be in store for her once Victoria began her kill.

Victoria fiercely yanked on Bella's arm, pulling it down and back fast. A loud, dull pop echoed from Bella's shoulder and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. So what was a dislocated shoulder? There was worse pain yet to come. Victoria released her arm, letting it swing down helplessly to Bella's side. She quickly circled Bella, shoulders hunched as if she were ready to pounce at any moment, lips curled back to reveal her brilliantly white teeth.

"You like poking fun at me? Your mate took everything from me," Victoria purred. "James was my _reason_ for eternity. And then your Edward came and destroyed that," she practically spat out his name. "So now, he will see how it feels when you lose your purpose for forever. I can't wait to see his pain when he sees your lifeless body." She cackled, continuing to circle Bella.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up," Bella admitted. It was painful enough to admit to herself but now to share the truth with her attacker? How… shameful. Victoria's circling halted, curiosity glinting in her menacing red eyes. "Edward left me. I'm no longer of any importance to him. I'm sorry but I doubt my death will have any effect on him."

Victoria didn't appear to be disappointed; she barely flinched at this news. Instead she simply grinned at Bella. "Well, that's ok. I can always go for a snack then."

The fear that Bella had been pushing away began to creep in her veins. "Help yourself," she whispered.

Victoria's eyes clouded over to a blood-red shade, practically glowing in the dark. "Don't mind if I do." She pounced forward and Bella shut her eyes, waiting for her attack.

At that same moment, though it seemed to stretch on forever, the sound of shattering glass and several grunts reverberated through the kitchen. When nothing made contact with Bella, she opened her eyes.

Whatever Bella had been expecting, it was definitely not this. In the center of her kitchen was Victoria engaged in some sort of tussle with a… wolf? Bella wasn't sure if she was seeing things clearly anymore. This wolf was not a regular wolf, but nearly three times the size with a reddish brown coat. Vampire and wolf alike were growling and snapping at each other, right in front of her. Bella wasn't sure what to do. She had no idea what she was more scared of but her eye caught on the back door. No way was she sticking around for the end of this fight.

Bella crossed the distance between herself and the door in less than a second, her hand on the knob, ready to tear it open and take off into the woods. She felt a tugging on her shirt and she fell backwards, her feet almost losing contact with the ground. Victoria's teeth had sunk into the hollow below Bella's throat before she had a chance to register the icy grip on her arms. Bella didn't feel the pain from the bite- the true pain would begin later.

Victoria barely got a chance to feed before the wolf tore her away, howling. Bella didn't waste another second- she flung the door open and took off into the misty night.


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: These wonderful and beautiful characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm just borrowing them for the moment to cure my creative curiosities.

As Bella ran, she tried to hold her right arm steady with her left- the bones jostled in the dislocated socket which is what made this escape most painful- for now

As Bella ran, she tried to hold her right arm steady with her left- the bones jostled in the dislocated socket which is what made this escape most painful- for now. To her general surprise, she was able to make it to the trees before she stumbled for the first time.

Bella couldn't hear anything except the pounding of her heartbeat. It seemed to echo between the trees as she ran. She tried to calm her breathing, tried to get her heart to slow down. Bella was sure that Victoria was behind her, chasing the thump of her heart, eager to drink from the gushing wound on her neck.

_I'm bleeding_. It was such a simple and obvious realization Bella had. It's not like she expected to get bit on the neck from a vampire and _not _be bleeding, but her immediate concern was her escape. Now, in the darkness of the woods, her escape seemingly pulled off, Bella allowed her brain to process the scent of blood- her blood- that had now completely soaked the right side of her top.

Glancing down she saw her once grey shirt was now a deep crimson. Her knees wobbled, threatening to give way. It wasn't so much the scent nor the sight of the blood that made her most light-headed. It was the _feeling_ of the blood oozing out of her neck, flowing down the length of her neck, sticking her shirt to her body. It was _that_ feeling that made Bella sink to the forest floor and drift off out of consciousness.

At that exact moment the Cullens had arrived. They huddled in the trees across the street from the Swann's home, trying to determine the best plan of attack. Alice focused and finally said, "They're not in the house anymore," she paused, waiting, then continued. "Victoria is gone for sure, but there's a werewolf here."

"How many?" Emmett growled anticipation in his voice.

"Just one. He's no match for us," Rosalie said, picking up on the scent.

"Okay, Rosalie, you, Emmett and Jasper go after the wolf," Edward said quickly, trying desperately to keep the calm in his voice. "Alice and I will track Bella."

And the group separated, darting off in opposite directions. Edward went around the house towards the woods in the back. Bella's intoxicating scent was incredibly strong here and he could see why: a trail of blood led from the back door to the trees. Edward resisted the urge to call out- Bella was extremely hurt, whether by the wolf or the vampire, and it was bad.

He and Alice didn't have to go very far because Bella hadn't made it that deep into the woods. Edward caught a glimpse of her, sprawled near the base of a tree. The sight of her tiny body on the dirty ground, her arm bent out at an awkwardly broken angle, her porcelain skin glistening in contrast to the crimson that soaked the right side of her body, and her eyes, shut so softly that Edward felt positive they were too late. Every single part of him felt like it was tearing apart.

Instinctively he and Alice stopped breathing. The last thing they needed was the urge to feed. Edward approached Bella carefully, afraid to get too close and see that she was already dead. But then he heard it- faintly but it was there- the light beat of her heart. It was struggling to keep beating; Edward could hear that for sure.

"Do you think you can do what you did last year?" Alice whispered, still standing close behind Edward.

He crouched down low near Bella to examine her wound. "I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I would be that strong again," he confessed, panicked. He looked up at Alice. "I haven't been around her for so long… he blood is insanely more tempting now than last year." Alice nodded, her worry growing. "I know, I'm thinking about them," Edward commented, noting her thoughts.

From her awkward position on the ground, Bella stirred. She could hear low voices above her, the cold hard ground below her, and the stickiness of the clothes on her body. She felt like she was having a flashback to September when Sam came to find her in the woods. But this was not a flashback- the reality of what she had just experienced and the shock of the pain her body was feeling rocked Bella back to consciousness. Her eyes snapped open and suddenly she wasn't convinced she was even still alive.

Staring down at her were the beautiful golden eyes that she had been longing for the past few months. Even in her dreams she hadn't seen this stunning stone face that her heart had ached for. Surely she must not have survived Victoria's bite- odd, she imagined the physical act would have been much more painful.

Then the angel spoke to her. "Bella, are you in pain?"

It took a moment for these words to register for her. Yes, of course she was in some pain- the ground was digging into her back, her arm was still hanging out of its socket, and the wound on her neck was beginning to tingle. There's no way death could be this painful. _Is it strange that I'd rather be in this much pain with Edward here then be dead and dreaming?_ Bella wondered. She tried to nod but found that her movements were limited. There was a blockage in her throat that kept her speech buried. There was so much she wanted to say but nothing could come out.

Edward watched her struggle but he couldn't quite decide if the venom from the bite was flowing through her veins yet. Swiftly he lifted her body, careful not to move her shoulder, and in less than a second he was cradling her in his arms. He tilted her face towards his, trying to examine the gaping holes on her neck. He could smell the lingering bitter scent of Victoria's venom set into the wound- no doubt within seconds Bella would be writhing in pain as the venom would flow through her body, shutting it down piece by piece. He raised his hand to wipe a tear from her face.

"What do you want me to do?" Edward whispered softly to her. The asking of this question was incredibly difficult for him. He always knew that if, given the choice, Bella would choose to be turned, to live forever, to be with him. He had wanted to believe that he was stronger than her- he wanted to believe that he could deny his own selfish needs to turn her and keep her with him forever. He wanted Bella to stay human, normal, and live the life that he and his family could never live. Giving her this choice, now, was him giving in, not just to her, but to himself.

Bella processed this information, this monumental choice that Edward was facing her with. This was far from heaven, she was far from her end…this was definitely not a dream. She was caught in this reality and what was her choice? There was no time to really think about her options. She fought to clear her throat and managed to utter her short response, the answer she had been ready to give him ever since she discovered he was a vampire. "You know I want…forever…with you," she struggled to speak her answer.

With pain in his eyes, Edward nodded. He already knew this is what she wanted, and now he could no longer deny that this is what he wanted too. Alice had backed slightly from the two, unbelieving the scene that was unfolding before her. She had not seen this future when they chose to come back to Forks. She had not seen Edward allowing Bella to make this choice- he had always been absolute in his decision that she stay human. Alice wanted to close her eyes and see what Bella's future was now but she could not bring herself to focus. Instead she continued to stare at her brother and her beautiful friend, dying in his arms.

Bella's body suddenly went rigid- the venom had traveled fiercely to her heart and was now pulsing out rapidly through her body. "Edward," she whispered, tears rushing down her face, her vision beginning to blur. "Keep your eye on me, ok?" Even as her body was beginning to convulse and the burn was spreading through her, she was trying to keep her tone light. But she couldn't smile- she couldn't control any of her body movements anymore.

Edward grimaced and held her closer to his chest. "I promise," he whispered back. As she began to scream, he turned her face towards his body so her cries would not echo through the forest. This initial physical pain would only last a few hours at most. And he would sit here with her, holding her until she could no longer scream- until the last breath of life left her body. After that, it would take about two days for her to awaken to her new life- to embrace her new eternity with the Cullens.

Through the fog wrapped around the trees, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett emerged. They took in the scene, stunned and unable to react at first. Jasper made his way over to Alice, wrapping his arms around her, yet she could not bring herself to look away. "I… I didn't see… I couldn't…" she trailed off.

Jasper tried to soothe her to the best of his abilities but he found it hard to spread this calm when he himself felt so strange.

Rosalie turned her back towards her brother and Bella. She refused to accept that Bella could give up her humanity, to trade the life Rosalie wanted for the hell that Rosalie had come to accept. But she would not leave, no matter how much she disapproved. She loved her brother too much to walk away from him when he needed their support. Emmett put an arm around her but he could not break his gaze from Bella's transformation.

The rain began to come down harder over the forest. The Cullens and the Hales kept watch over the area while Edward kept his tight hold on Bella. Her muffled screams and the falling rain were the only thing to hear for hours.

**A/N: **Thanks to all who have reviewed/favorited this story! I hope you liked this chapter. There are BIG changes that are going to happen with Bella and the Cullens soon. And what about Jacob? What will he think about Bella now?


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: These wonderful and beautiful characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer

**DISCLAIMER: **These wonderful and beautiful characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm just borrowing them for the moment to cure my creative curiosities.

Sunlight streamed in through the open windows and danced along the hardwood floors of the Cullen home. Carlisle and Esme sat at the dining room table, reading recent papers, trying to catch up on the news from when they were away on their hunt. Seeing as how they had little concern with time, they were able to enjoy every article in almost every section of the paper. Perhaps this is why they were so smart? Whatever the case, this is where they sat, enjoying their afternoon on a beautiful Wednesday. The rest of the family was out hunting since they hadn't been able to go all weekend.

All but one.

Edward Cullen was pacing in the hallway upstairs. His pacing had begun early the day before and had not ceased. Though his steps were quiet, each pace of the hallway disturbed Esme. She hated seeing and feeling Edward in so much pain. She set down the financial section in her hands and put her hand on Carlisle's arm. "Can you please just go talk to him? I'm worried."

Carlisle sighed. "Esme, I've already tried. Until she wakes up… I doubt he's going to leave that hallway. It was hard enough to keep him from hovering around her bedside." He tried to go back to reading about the latest politics but now found that Edward's pacing was bothering him as well. Carlisle sighed again and set down his section. "Ok, I'll try to talk to him."

Esme smiled and returned to reading her paper. Carlisle reached the top of the stairs as Edward passed him. "I know what you've come to tell me but I'm not going to stop until she's awake," Edward said defensively before Carlisle even had a chance to open his mouth. "I'm sorry if I'm being a disturbance but…" he trailed off, reaching the end of the hallway. He came to a stop in front of Bella's room. He looked sadly at the closed door and then quickly towards Carlisle. "Why hasn't she woken up yet?"

Carlisle walked down the hall towards Edward. "The transformation is different for everyone Edward. She wasn't in pain for an incredible amount of time. Maybe her body is just resisting it more than what we've come to expect," Carlisle theorized.

"When will she wake up?" Edward's voice was pained. Carlisle stared into his son's deep black eyes. It was clear that he had underestimated the amount of pain and guilt Edward was in. His eyes burned fiercely, searching for an answer from his father, his leader.

Carlisle shook his head. "I can't say for sure," he said quietly. Edward released a long, shallow breath. "But pacing in this hallway isn't going to speed things up at all, Edward. You need to go hunt. When was the last time you fed?"

Edward shrugged. "Sometime last week I think… when we were near the mountains."

"It's been too long. And all this stressing you've been doing, holed up in this hallway, it's making it worse," Carlisle explained. "Take off for today. Esme and I will look over Bella."

"No," Edward said quickly. "I can't leave her. What if she wakes up, and I'm not here?" The idea of Bella awakening as a vampire for the first time, alone and scared, feeling that thirst for the first time- he would not leave her for a second.

"Edward, be logical. If she wakes up, she'll need to feed, almost immediately. And what good will it be for you to take her hunting if you haven't fed? You won't be able to control yourself, to show her how it's done," Carlisle argued. Edward nodded once. While he didn't want to leave Bella's side, that option frightened him more. "Good. Now go hunt. I think I can handle it from here."

Edward turned to walk away and paused, turning towards Carlisle. "Thank you. For not… judging me."

Carlisle seemed bewildered. "Judge you? For what?"

"For letting her change. For not saving her when I could have tried," Edward said, hanging his head. "For being selfish."

Carlisle was stunned to hear his son speak this way, so defeated and weak. "None of us judge you, Edward. I of all people know the position you were in. And I promise you, I do not think any less of you."

Edward nodded again, turned to walk down the hallway, and within seconds he was outside in the fresh air with the intention of making the quickest kill possible.

Bella Swann was laying in a king size bed, on sheets of black silk and beneath the softest comforter the Cullen's could find in their home. Beds were never a necessity so it was a special occasion to get this one together, especially since it would be the last bed that Bella would ever need to lay in.

Somewhere beneath her eyelids, Bella's brain switched back on. For the past four days her body had been dying. While she recalled the initial pain, she remembered succumbing to it and slipping into an unconscious state. The last thing she remembered before this was screaming into Edward's stone chest, begging for him to kill her, to end the pain. But he had resisted, holding her tighter, and softly singing her lullaby to her.

Now Bella was completely alert, aware that all her pain was gone. She was finally ready to wake up and embrace her new life, this new eternity that she had to share with Edward. Slowly, she opened her eyes; the room was empty. _Where is he_? She wondered. Bella pushed herself up to a sitting position and rubbed her eyes as if to clear them. _What a silly human reaction_, she thought while she rubbed her eyes. _Of course I can see clearly. And I'm alone_.

This thought angered her. Even if Edward wasn't next to her bed, where was Alice? And Carlisle? And the rest of the family? Did they just dump her in the bed to change and expect her to come down when she was all finished? As the anger pulsed through her, Bella began to feel something different, something she had never felt before.

And then suddenly it hit Bella- the insatiable need to … _feed_. Her body tingled and ached, desperately trying to alert her that she was hungry. And Bella knew what she needed to quench this kind of thirst. Forget the grand plans she had made for a final, human meal- this craving for blood was so intense it propelled her out of bed. She was to the door and ripping it open in less than a second.

It did not occur to her where she was; any sort of self awareness or control Bella had when she first awoke immediately vanished. She had only one goal now and she knew it could not be accomplished indoors. As she prowled down the hallway, she encountered another being, similar to her by their scent. But this was not food, so she continued on towards to the stairs.

Then the creature spoke to her. "Bella, do you know who I am?"

Bella whipped her head around towards the voice but no one was there. Turning back, she saw the person standing at the top of the stairs, blocking her way. Bella's only response was a low hiss. She leaned forward, ready to pounce past this unwelcome visitor, when they spoke to her again.

"Yes, yes," they said, trying to soothe her. "I know you're hungry. Edward will be back soon to take you."

_Edward_. His name was like a shockwave through her brain. And like a waterfall, all of her memories of Edward and the Cullen's came rushing over her. She gasped and staggered backwards a step. It felt like someone had lifted a veil from her mind.

"Carlisle?" she spoke softly but there was fear in her voice.

"Ah, good. I thought I might have to defend myself against you for a moment," he said, chuckling. "But apparently all I have to do is mention Edward and you come out of it." He stepped forward to put his arm around her and she quickly stepped back again. "Bella, it's ok. The worst part is over. Come downstairs with me and we'll wait for Edward, ok?"

She nodded and let Carlisle lead her downstairs. Bella felt much more relieved when they entered the living room and she was met with a flurry of excited dancing. Alice was in front of her, practically dancing out of her skin with happiness.

"Bella! Oh Bella, you look beautiful! Tell me, was it really as painful as everyone says? Because, you know, I don't remember anything about changing; it's all kind of a jumble for me… But you look fantastic! Well, not so much the eyes but we'll work on that, don't worry…" Alice trailed off as Carlisle gave her a warning glare.

"Easy, Alice. Bella's a little, well, on edge right now. When can we expect Edward?"

"He'll be back in less than half and hour. He was only heading to the nearest reserve for a snack," Jasper said from the opposite side of the room. He was leaning with his back against the window, his hands in his pockets. Esme sat on the couch in front of him. Bella turned towards Jasper but found that she couldn't look him in the eye. He continued to stare at her intensely. "How are you feeling Bella?"

Bella just shrugged her shoulders and looked around, suddenly uncomfortable like she was on display. "Do we have to wait for Edward? Why can't Alice just take me now?" Everyone fell silent and simply stared at her. "What?" Bella was starting to feel annoyed again and this annoyance wasn't helping her hunger.

"Bella," Esme began gently, "Edward has been by your side every second since he brought you home. He just had to get something before you woke up, so he can show you how when you're ready."

"Well I'm ready, I'm sick of waiting. Let's go," Bella said, turning on her heel.

"Wait, I'll come with you Bella, but please, let's just wait for Edward first," Alice pleaded.

"Whatever… you can't stop me. I don't need you to show me how to hunt anyways. I'm pretty sure I can figure it out on my own," Bella growled, her eyes flashing a brilliant shade of scarlet. She spun around to stalk out the back door and found herself staring directly into the most beautiful, familiar ocher eyes she had ever seen in her life.

**A/N: **Thank you all so much for the reviews! I'm not so sure how I like this chapter yet… let me know what you think, as always : ) I'm trying to keep things as close to Stephenie's vampire mythology as possible (check out the ). Finals are this week so hopefully I can find to update frequently!! Thanks again!!


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: These wonderful and beautiful characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm just borrowing them for the moment to cure my creative curiosities.

Staring down into Bella's fresh red eyes was harder than Edward expected it to be

Staring down into Bella's fresh red eyes was harder than Edward expected it to be. His smoldering eyes glared down at her, erasing almost every thought and instinct from Bella's brain. It was the same effect that his stare had on her when she was human, only this time when she stopped breathing she didn't pass out.

"You're awake," he stated softly, his eyes scanning her over. "And you're thirsty."

Bella could ignore her thirst for another moment. Staring up at Edward was still intoxicating for her. It was the same, but different. If it were in any way possible, he looked even more beautiful than before. Her new vampire eyes must have something to do with this, she was sure, but the whys and hows behind the cause didn't matter to her at the moment. She reached her hand up to touch his cool cheek; there was no more warmth from her hand to him anymore.

The second her fingers brushed his skin, it felt like an electric current ran through her from Edward. If she had any doubts that he would still want her now that she was no longer human, they vanished. There was no longer an attraction to her blood, but that spark told her more than enough.

Edward found that once she touched him, he could not hold himself back. He reached down and took her cold face in his hands. It was as though the two were in the room alone- just Bella and Edward- no one else mattered. No words needed to be spoken; they could see it in each other's eyes. Edward brought his face down and met his lips to hers.

The shock reverberated through Bella's body as she kissed him back eagerly, parting her lips. This taste was delicious and this time there was no holding back. Edward moved one arm around her waist and pulled her tighter to his chest; now that there was no risk of losing control, he kissed her hungrily in a way he had only imagined. There was no concern for crossing the line because the line didn't exist anymore.

Reluctantly though, Bella withdrew, pulling slightly away from Edward. He kept his tight hold on her, keeping her from moving too far. Before she could even speak, Edward just nodded and brushed her cheek. "I know, you're thirsty. We can… er, talk later," he said, a wicked grin on his face. "Are you ready?"

Bella nodded fervently; she was unable to resist her thirst any longer. She followed Edward out the back door, anxious and excited for her first hunt. They broke into a run and were a mile or two into the forest before Bella asked, "Where do we normally go?"

She realized that she never knew these details when she was human- she didn't really need to know. The Cullen's would take hunting trips on the weekend, disguised as camping trips, but that was the extent of Bella's hunting knowledge.

"Normally we'd take more time and travel farther. But since you're a newborn, you're going to have to feed more frequently. So we set something up a couple miles away," Edward explained as they ran.

They began to slow and then Edward came to a stop. The forest was getting darker; it was twilight. They had reached the edge of a small canyon it seemed. It wasn't that deep, or wide, but it was dark and dense with trees. "What are we doing here?" Bella asked impatiently, her thirst getting the best of her.

"We thought you should be in an enclosed area for your first hunt," Alice's voice from said from behind Bella. She hadn't even realized Alice had tagged along. "It's probably safer this way, at least for your first time."

"Jasper and Emmett chased some good prey down there for you," Edward said, coming alongside Bella and placing his arm around her shoulders. "A decent sampling of all the good stuff." His eyes were sparkling when he said the last part. Bella didn't even care what he meant- she was _thirsty_. A growl began in the back of her throat. Edward could sense her impatience and removed his arm. "Do you want me to go down there with you?" he asked seriously.

Bella shook her head. "I can do this," she said firmly. And without a glance back at Edward or Alice, she took a running jump off the edge of the canyon and landed on her feet inside.

Once she was in the darkness of the trees below it was like surrendering to instinct. Her red eyes flashed in the darkness, her body alert- watching for movement. The first shadow to pass by her was towards the right. Bella pounced- whatever it was, she was quicker. Her hands crushed down on the animal's fur, bones crumbling beneath its skin. With a powerful yank, Bella could feel the animal's neck snap and she quickly lowered her mouth to the fur, taking a fierce bite through the rough exterior. One tug opened a large enough wound. As Bella began to suck on the liquid that was rushing out of the animal, a peculiar feeling began to spread through her. It was like a trickling sensation throughout her body, a pleasing feeling- but it wasn't enough.

Although it felt to Bella like she had just begun drinking, the animal's blood was soon growing cold. She threw the carcass down and licked her lips, desperate for more. Bella jumped up, inhaling deeply for the whiff of a fresh scent. Bella could smell the growling predator to her left before she could hear it- grinning, she darted sideways to avoid its attack, then darted at it from behind. The mountain lion was caught completely off guard as Bella sank her teeth into its back.

Up at the edge of the canyon, Edward paced nervously. He could hear the growls and snarls coming from below; it took everything in his power not to jump down there and make sure Bella was ok.

"Edward, she'll be fine. It's total instinct for newborns. She's hungry enough, she'll know what to do," Alice said softly, trying to ease her brother's tense mind. "Besides, I thought you'd already be worrying about what to do when she's done hunting."

He looked up at Alice who was grinning at him. "You're thinking… unbelievably naughty things Alice," he paused as he observed her thoughts. "Now is that a vision or just your dirty mind?"

Alice laughed and almost rolled off the boulder she had settled herself on. "Come on, Edward. Don't act like you haven't been thinking about it."

Edward shook his head. "I haven't. There's more important things I have to go over with her, things we have to talk about. And besides, I'm pretty sure that's not on her mind right now either." As he spoke, a loud cry of pain echoed from the canyon. Edward rushed to the edge, trying to peer through the oncoming darkness for any sign of Bella.

"Relax Edward, that was just the bear."

"The bear, huh? She's doing that well already?" Edward said, impressed.

"Please," said Alice, "like you didn't already know Bella was going to be a fierce newborn. Lucky she's got us here to watch her."

"Yeah… because without us she never would have become a vampire in the first place," Edward said bitterly, kicking a loose rock over the edge.

Alice was sad to see her brother still so depressed. There was a part of him that was happy now that Bella was awake and normal, well, normal for a vampire, but mostly he still blamed himself for everything. "She doesn't blame you, Edward. I know you want to feel responsible for all that's happened, but you can't keep blaming yourself. Bella wanted this, remember? She chose this. And you should be happy for her."

Edward opened his mouth to retort but at that moment they heard Bella scrambling up the side of the canyon. He rushed to the side and grabbed her wrists, pulling her up. Bella was grinning- her lips were stained with the most beautiful scarlet that no lipstick could compare to. She brushed the dirt off her hands, her amazing white smile almost from ear to ear. And her eyes- _thank god_, Edward thought as he saw her eyes were no longer an evil shade of red but a honey brown color.

"That was amazing. Honestly, I can't wait to do that again," Bella exclaimed, declaring her love for the hunt.

"Yeah, most newborns feel that way. We'll bring you back tomorrow for more," Alice said, happy that her friend was not hating what she had become. Embracing this new lifestyle would be incredibly hard as it is, without accepting all the strings that came along with it.

Edward reached down quickly and kissed Bella on the lips, running his tongue along the blood that remained there. "Nice," he commented, tasting it. "So you got the bear, huh?"

"And the mountain lion. And something else. I wasn't really sure what I got first, I was too hungry to really care," Bella said, laughter echoing between the trees around them.

"Good girl," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. "Let's get back to the house now, shall we?"

Bella nodded, pressing the side of her body as close to Edward as possible. "But what do we do now? It's not like its bedtime or anything," she said, giggling.

Edward laughed along with her. "No, but there are some things we have to talk about. Well, ok, a lot of things we have to talk about. Obviously we had to make sure you were well-fed first."

"What's on the agenda for this evening?" Bella asked, curious.

Alice spoke up from behind them. "Charlie, for one thing. You've been gone for almost five days." Panic and fear coursed through Bella. _Charlie_. She had completely forgotten about her dad- how could she? "Don't worry," Alice said softly, trying to calm Bella. "I covered for you pretty well. I went to your house Sunday and told him that you had gone to visit Rosalie on a last-minute college visit. He totally bought it, but I'm sure you'll be grounded for leaving without notice."

"Uh, great. And what am I supposed to tell him about…" Bella trailed off. Edward looked down at her quizzically. "Being a vampire?"

He nodded. "We'll talk about that at the house."

"Great," Bella mumbled in the darkness. "Can we run now? This walking thing gets old kinda fast."

Edward laughed, a deep and booming laugh that made Alice happy to hear. "I never thought I'd hear you ask that!"

The three of them took off running, bringing them back to the house in less than five minutes. Lights were on inside, bathing the wide lawn in a lovely evening glow. It had begun to rain slightly again and it made the air smell fresh and wonderful. As they walked in the house, laughing and squeezing the water from their hair, they abruptly stopped, their sense suddenly alerted to an unfriendly presence. As they turned the corner towards the living room, they understood the cause for concern. Jacob Black and two other men were standing in the living room, Esme and Carlisle were sitting on the couch while Jasper and Emmett stood close behind them with their fists clenched.

Jacob turned to look at Bella, taking in her blood-stained lips and chalk white face. "Well, well, well. The little bloodsucker's returned."

**A/N: **Thank you all so much for the reviews and story alerts! I'm glad you like it so far. Let me know what you think of this chapter. The story is progressing in exactly the direction I'd intended, but I never imagined it would be this long!


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: **These beautiful characters are creations of Stephenie Meyer : ) Thank you for letting me borrow them for my own imaginative musing!!

"What happened to the house rule Carlisle? No dogs allowed," Edward growled, placing himself protectively in front of Bella.

Jacob and his friends seemed restless. Any more taunting by either side would surely result in a fight. Carlisle sensed this and rose from the couch, spreading his arms between the two groups. "Now calm down guys. Edward, Jacob and his friends came to share some important information with us."

"Information we don't _have_ to share ya know," Jacob huffed.

Edward took a deep breath and composed himself, calmer now. "You're right, I'm sorry. But I already know what you came here to say, so just say it and go please."

Jacob looked confused, looking curiously at his friends. "What do you mean, you already know?"

"He can read your mind, obviously. How else?" Emmett hissed from across the room, flexing his fists. He, apparently, was still hoping for a fight.

Jacob paused, visibly stunned at this news. He cleared his throat finally. "Right, well we were just going to tell you that there's a wild bloodsucker out there right now," he said, gesturing towards the windows. "We know she's not any of you," he motioned towards Alice and Esme, "but we wanted to remind you that the rules apply to _any_ vampires here in Forks. You guys are still responsible."

As he spoke, Bella felt a chill run down her spine. She glanced nervously around at the Cullens but none of them seemed too surprised or even remotely affected by this news. Bella was still standing in Edward's shadow, practically hidden from Jacob's view. Had he gotten a good look at her when they walked in? Would he be able to tell that she was a vampire? What happens if they find out? Questions screamed through her mind and she wished so badly that Edward could hear her thoughts for a change.

And then suddenly Bella felt ridiculously calm. The same frightening thoughts were running through her mind but she felt oddly at ease with them. She snapped her gaze over towards Jasper across the room. He wasn't even looking in her direction but she knew he must be responsible for this feeling.

A ripple of anger stretched through the room. Bella hadn't been paying attention and now she had missed something; Edward had crouched forward, a snarl erupting from his lips, as Emmett and Jasper leapt forward to flank their brother on either side, all of them now standing in front of Bella. Alice reached towards Bella and grabbed her by the waist protectively. Jacob's friends were trying to coax him back to sanity; a look of rage burned in his eyes as his tall, hard body began to shake.

"You turned her, didn't you? You've destroyed her, do you know that?" Jacob tried to keep his voice low but fury oozed out of every syllable.

"She's not yours to claim," Edward hissed back.

Carlisle could see that keeping the calm between the vampires and the werewolves would be more difficult than last time. "Jacob, not one of us harmed Bella. The red-head you're referring to is Victoria, the mate of a vampire we killed last year. And it was Victoria, not Edward, who bit Bella."

This news did not make Jacob relax one bit. "Well who's fault is it that dangerous vampires came to Forks in the first place?"

"Cut it out right now Jacob Black," Bella finally spoke, her anger overcoming the calm that was trying to seep in her mind. She hissed lowly in Jasper's direction and suddenly the calm vanished. Employing most of her strength Bella was able to push Edward out of her way. "Funny, all those times you wanted to talk to me and you never remember to mention you were a werewolf," she snapped.

"Funny you never told me you died," Jacob growled back. And then, for a moment, the anger stopped pulsing through him. In his eyes was a glint of a smile; it reminded her of the days he was there for her, when Edward was gone. "This is kinda stupid, I'm sorry," he said, an apologetic smile crossing his face which was still creased with worry. "That doesn't mean I'm not… upset about this whole situation."

Bella nodded stiffly. "But there's nothing we can do about it, Jake. And for once, I'm actually happy." As she spoke, Bella reached to her side and grabbed onto to Edward's waist, pulling him up from his defensive position to stand tall next to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and squeezed her against him in return. Jacob rolled his eyes. "Stop that! Despite your differences, we both have a common enemy right now, remember?"

Jacob paused to think about this. "I guess so. Technically, all of you are our enemies. Even you Bella."

"I know that. But what if I make an agreement with you?" Bella proposed. On the sides of her vision she saw Emmett and Jasper relax their stance as well. The family had now come close around them, ready to hear Bella's proposition. "You let us destroy Victoria, and then we leave. No more vampires in Forks, ever."

Jacob's face fell. "You're just gonna leave? Just go away and never come back? Bella, what about Charlie?" There, he had to go and throw down the guilt card.

Bella tried not to falter. "I'll work it out Jake. But I obviously can't stay here."

"Why not?"

"Because then I'd be forced to fight you. I don't want that Jake. And I know you don't either," Bella said softly.

Jake shrugged, clearly unhappy with this proposition. His friend mumbled something to him and Jake waved him off. "Fine," he said finally. "On one condition. We want this bitch dead just as much as you. We get to hunt too."

Edward opened his mouth to protest but Carlisle spoke before him. "It's a deal. Go tell the rest of your pack. How does tomorrow sound for a start?"

Jacob grunted. "Sure. I guess we'll go then." He motioned to his friends and went to walk past Bella towards the front door. Bella reached out to touch him as he passed but he pushed her arm away. "Don't," he whispered. "Just don't."

Bella couldn't help but feel sad about Jacob's cold reception. It was hard enough to accept the truths about their new changes, but he had never been so… mean. Once they had left, Emmett broke the silence.

"I really don't see why we have to work with them. Why can't we just take out the werewolves with Victoria?"

"Because I didn't make a treaty with them so long ago for no reason, Emmett," Carlisle spoke softly.

Jasper looked around at each of them, finally setting his eyes on Bella. "So that's it then? We're going to leave soon," he hesitated, glancing at Edward. "Are you sure you're ready for that Bella?"

Suddenly Bella didn't like being in the spotlight, under their scrutiny. It felt childish but all she really wanted to do was run away. Edward could sense her sudden discomfort and held her tighter. "We'll discuss it when the time comes," he said in her defense.

"Well the time is rapidly approaching brother-"

Edward cut Jasper off. "Save it Jasper. We've had a long enough day. Just… save it." He sighed deeply and whispered to Bella. "Come on, let's go upstairs."

Bella nodded and the two left the room. Alice went over to Jasper and put her arms around him. "It's going to work out, Jasp," she whispered in his ear.

Jasper allowed his body to respond to the tingling sensation that her whisper was causing. "Wanna bet?" he whispered back, squeezing her sides. Alice shrieked and giggled. As the two left the house to go for a walk, it seemed, temporarily, as though everything really would be ok.

Up in Edward's room with the door shut, Bella fully allowed herself to panic. "There's just so much I didn't consider before… and now… and I can't… and I don't know…" she said under her breath, quickly pacing the floor in front of the wall of windows.

"Well there's also a lot you didn't even know. And besides, in the face of death, it's always easy to… miscalculate," Edward said quietly, sitting down on his bed. He said something so softly that Bella stopped and stood in front of him, taking his face in her hands.

"What are you saying?" she whispered.

With sad eyes, Edward looked up at her dull red ones staring back at him. "I'm sorry you chose this," he said sadly.

Pain tore at Bella's insides. "Oh Edward," she whispered softly. "I know I'm anxious about everything now, you know I can't help that. But when I look at you, when I see your eyes, when I touch your face…" Bella trailed off, sighing, completely intoxicated with him. Staring into his deep ocher eyes and feeling the softness of his face was sweeter than any of the animal's she killed earlier.

"Yes," Edward whispered back, urging her to continue. He wrapped his hands through her long, dark hair and pulled her face closer to his. The scent that had originally enticed his attraction to her was gone; there was no more freesia to tempt him, but that didn't change his needs towards her.

Bella could feel Edward's breath on her neck, his lips finding the sweet spot along her jaw and continuing small kisses towards her ear. "Are you sure you still want me?" she mumbled, trying to turn her head away. Looming in the back of her mind, always, was the fear that once she was a vampire, Edward would no longer want her in the same way. She was surprised when he chuckled slightly. "I'm serious!" she moaned.

"Bella… _my _beautiful Bella," he turned her chin to face him again. "I have wanted you since the moment I saw you. And even though the want may be different now, I promise you it is stronger than you can possibly imagine." He gave her the infamous crooked grin and pulled her face down to his, capturing her lips in his.

Relief washed over Bella as every other concern of hers melted from her mind. She pushed Edward back on the bed and climbed onto his lap, her knees on either side of his hips. Bella tugged at the bottom of his sweater, then paused, pulled back slightly and asked, "Is this ok?"

"Absolutely," he whispered back, helping her tiny hands pull his sweater over his head. And he wrapped his arms around Bella, pulled her closer to his hard chest, and gave into the urges he had for so long fought off.

**A/N: **SORRY this chapter is so short!! Do you want me to pick up exactly where I left off next chapter or just sort of assume what happens? Let me know! My finals are DONE so I have time to write til my heart's content : ) Thanks again for the encouraging reviews!!


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: **As always, these beautiful and amazing characters are the property of Mrs. Meyer. Thank you for letting me borrow them and satisfy my muse ; )

Edward and Bella spent hours in bed, memorizing every detail, every tiny inch of each other. For so long they had desired to see and touch and taste each other; it took them the greater part of the night. When they seemed content for a short while, Edward held Bella in his arms, stroking her hair with one hand while his other arm wrapped loosely around her waist, tracing mindless patterns on her hip.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Edward whispered in her ear.

Bella grinned, her eyes closed, trying to remember how her body and mind felt the past few hours. "I'm thinking that was simply the greatest thing I have ever experienced. Are you sure you haven't been with someone like this before?" she mumbled happily.

Edward chuckled. "How did I know you were going to ask that? Funny, you seemed to know exactly what you were doing as well."

He felt her semi-shrug. "I think our bodies are more in tune with our minds than we realize." She paused for a moment, thinking of possibilities. "Do you think…" she trailed off, suddenly too embarrassed to ask.

"What? You can ask me anything. I promise I won't laugh," he insisted.

"Well, I always thought of Rosalie and Emmett having, like a physical connection. And Jasper and Alice definitely have a strong emotional connection. Do you think we've got… like the best possibly hybrid of both kinds?" Bella almost laughed as she said it; it sounded slightly ridiculous but it felt right to say.

Edward buried his nose in the crook of her neck and mumbled, "I think so. It sure felt that way."

Bella felt a tingle as his lips began to nip at her neck. While the feel of his lips on her made her body react, it sometimes forced her brain into overdrive. Being turned with such little time to prepare or finish things in her human life made Bella feel… empty. She had wanted her first time with Edward to be when she was human, when she would be able to feel the heat pulsing through her and the warmth exploding from her center as he caressed her. The feeling of Edward's icy lips on her hard neck felt delicious, but at the same time made her realize her warmth was forever lost.

But she would never confess those thoughts to Edward. He felt guilty enough as it was; no use placing another burden on him. They were so connected now that to share this bit of unhappiness with him would cause him pain, and in turn her pain, so Bella pushed the thought from her mind and tried to enjoy the pleasure of his body against hers, held together for eternity.

And then the hunger struck.

It came on so quickly and so powerfully, Bella wasn't sure how to react at first. The normal side of her was enjoying this moment with Edward, savoring their first time together; she was angry that this thirst suddenly was becoming more powerful than her will. She tried to contain it at first, biting down hard on her tongue, but Edward could sense it almost immediately. Her body had become too rigid, even for their dead bodies.

He didn't need to glance down at her to confirm it, but he wanted to. Though it was still fairly dark, her eyes had regained the faint ruby glow and she was glaring up at him.

"Get up, get dressed. Let's go," Edward said as he swiftly tossed back the sheets. He had his pants and sweater on in seconds. Bella was already dressed and by the door before he had gotten his shoes on. He couldn't help but grin; this was _his _Bella, or at least his _new_ Bella.

"Could you take any longer?" Bella mumbled, racing down the stairs.

Edward didn't take personal offense to her grumblings; this was the way a newborn was: extremely moody, especially when they were hungry. Instead of being upset, Edward just sighed and smiled. "That's my girl," he whispered to her, putting his arm around her shoulder.

At the bottom of the stairs they ran into Alice. "Edward-" she began, but she didn't need to finish.

"Oh god," Edward breathed, reading her thoughts and trying to process them.

This confusion coupled with her thirst almost irritated Bella into a rage. If it weren't for Edward's protective hold on her shoulder, Bella would have already taken off out the back door. "What?" she gritted through her teeth. "If you don't mind, we were out to-"

"I know, and I'm sorry, but this is important Bella," Alice interrupted. "Rosalie just called. She ran into Victoria a couple miles from here and they… had an exchange."

"What kind of exchange?" Bella asked. She glanced between Edward and Alice who were sharing their own private look, likely their own mental conversation as well. "Hello? Am I invisible here? What the hell is going on?!" She was shouting now but she wasn't really aware of it.

Her tone and decibel brought Jasper to the front hallway. "What's going on?" He glanced at Alice and Edward. "Oh, you heard from Rosalie?"

Alice nodded. "How did you…?"

"Carlisle, Esme, and Emmett just left to go meet her. Is she going to be ok?" Jasper asked Alice, requesting her to use her foresight. Alice nodded, slowly. "Well obviously. Now who's taking Bella and who's going after Victoria?"

Up until this point, Bella had been gripping the wooden handrail to keep herself from running away. But the further lack of answers in this conversation was driving her absolutely insane; the railing crumbled beneath her grip.

Jasper took one look at the sawdust floating to the floor and the flash of scarlet in Bella's eyes and said quickly, "Well, they'll need both of your talents in tracking Victoria."

"No," Edward said forcefully, tightening his grasp on Bella. "I'm going to take her now. I have to take her."

Alice grimaced. "Edward, please, we don't have time. And Jasper's right. I know you think you're protecting her, but if we don't get a lead right now, Bella will be in even more danger."

"It's not that," Edward said quietly towards Jasper. "I trust you. But I promised… I would be with her."

"Edward, just go help Rosalie. Go kill Victoria. I don't care who the hell takes me, just let me go, _please_," Bella pleaded. Her eyes were practically glowing an electric red now; she didn't have much time left before the hunger became painful. Edward stared at her for a moment, reluctant but ready.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Bella practically roared; there was no other way to describe the guttural noise that erupted from her from the inside out. Edward released her from his grasp and commanded, "Stay with Jasper. Listen to him, and don't do anything stupid."

Bella snarled at him, words having lost their meaning at this point.

Jasper nodded to Edward and held his final gaze for Alice. "We'll be fine, I promise."

Alice gave a small nod. "I know you will."

Edward caught a glance of Bella's dark hair bouncing behind her as she ran out the back door, Jasper keeping right behind her. Worry creased in his face; he couldn't help but feel terrified having let his precious, angry prize out to hunt with the weakest member of their clan.

Alice put her hand on his arm. "I know you're worried, but Jasper is a good leader too. She'll be fine. And we need to help Rosalie."

Edward nodded but the worry never washed from his hard face.

Out in the woods, Bella could feel Jasper behind her as the forest flashed by her, the faint signs of the sunrise creeping above the treetops and streaming down around her. The normal Bella, shoved roughly in the back on her mind by her hunger, was thinking of how wonderful it would be to finally sparkle in the sunshine. But there was no time to sparkle now- it was feeding time.

Mid-way to the hunting corral, Bella caught a whiff of something… delicious. She stopped abruptly near a fallen log, whipping her head to the left, her nostrils flaring as she inhaled sharply. She tried to identify the smell but it wasn't familiar to her; definitely not any kind of animal she had killed yesterday.

"It's a coyote. We don't get very many of them up in this area. They're a little salty for my taste, but you might enjoy anything now," Jasper spoke, his lips turning up at the corners. She almost turned and punched Jasper when he spoke; she was so hungry and all she wanted was for him to _shut up_. "Well what are you looking at me for? Stop being bitchy about it and just go _eat_," Jasper hissed roughly.

As Bella darted away towards the coyote, Jasper felt slightly remorseful. He shouldn't be this hard on her when she was experiencing such a hunger pain. Of the entire clan, he knew that feeling the best. It would take months before she would be able to control it slightly, and even then it would take a decent amount of concentration. Everyday was a struggle for Jasper, but coming from his harsh back ground, he wasn't used to being patient with newborns. He would apologize to her for his rudeness later, although it wouldn't be necessary since she probably wouldn't remember anything before she fed.

Jasper heard a yelp close by and he knew Bella had caught the coyote. He was thankful that he had fed earlier with Alice or else he would be itching to lose himself and feed as well. But he resisted the flow of venom in his mouth. Thinking about struggling for resistance, Jasper smiled to himself. Maybe he and Bella wouldn't be so bad as brother and sister- at least they could commiserate on one thing.

He walked along slowly between the trees, his mind lost in a mixed memory of various pasts. The attack from his side caught him completely off guard. He immediately turned defensive as he was tackled to the ground, snarling and growling, trying to rise to his feet but finding himself pinned to the ground. Nothing, _nothing_ was strong enough to keep Jasper on the ground- not even Emmett could do this. His grunts of frustration and anger grew louder and his struggle increased- he couldn't even lift his head to get a glimpse of his attacker.

Jasper paused for a moment in his struggle; his attackers at first felt challenged when they had tackled Jasper. Now, Jasper could tell they were feeling victorious and accomplished. They had come here to do something and whatever that thing was, it was finished. A streak of fear ran through Jasper. _Bella_. _Oh god, what have they done?_

**A/N: **Thank you all for the kind reviews! I've got the story mapped out to about 13 chapters, so we're nearing the end : ) PLEASE keep reviewing! I appreciate all reviews, regardless of length, criticism, etc. Thank you!!


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: **These characters are property of Stephenie Meyer. And she's an incredible person for letting me manipulate them like this!!

**A/N: **No love for the last chapter? I'm trying to wrap this story up. This chapter is short, and the few following will be as well. If you like it, please drop a review when you're done; it's the only way I'll ever finish this story, with encouragement. Don't make me beg : )

Bella woke up in a cold, damp and dark room. At first it was a struggle to just open her eyes; she felt incredibly weak and any amount of movement required a great effort. Her body was slumped back in an icy hard chair; her arms were stretched out and bound at the wrists, to what Bella couldn't make out in the darkness, but the cold shackles that bound her tugged harshly. This arrangement felt awkward and painful to her body; she wanted to move, to rip her bindings from wherever she was bound, but she couldn't find the strength.

A cackle of laughter came from behind her; Bella tried to whip her head around but found herself seeing flashes of black instead. She couldn't focus, she couldn't smell; she felt like she was losing it.

"What's… what's happening to me?" Bella mumbled, unaware that is was possible for vampires to be in this kind of physical state of confusion and weakness. This vulnerability frightened Bella.

The familiar feline voice was behind her ear now, purring, "You're just thirsty darling, that's all." And then that high-pitched laugh again, echoed throughout the small confinement.

_Victoria._ An image of her from their last encounter flashed through Bella's memory and at first, her fear increased. But almost immediately, Bella felt reassured; she was a vampire now. There was nothing Victoria could do to harm her… or was there?

"So are you enjoying this life? Being one of us… immortal… invincible?" Victoria said, a bitter edge to her voice. She walked around Bella now so she was standing in front of her. She braced herself on either arm of the chair and leaned in close to Bella. "You're so cocky, aren't you? That's ok, I was too when I was a newborn. You think you can be in control of everything now, but you can't."

Bella struggled against her bindings but weakly. She couldn't summon the strength to rip them from the walls, to shout at Victoria, to do anything. Bella felt so helpless; being a vampire wasn't supposed to be like this.

Victoria continued to circle her. "You're wondering why you're so weak, I know," she said. "You could just ask, you know, instead of sitting there pathetically." Victoria threw her wild red hair back and laughed, a sinister sound. "How long has it been since you last fed?"

Bella felt herself shrug. She had never gotten to drink from the coyote; a double attack came at her from nowhere. The last thing she could recall from the attack was being slammed between both the attackers and then hoisted into a heavy, steel box. "How did you…" she began, but decided to save her strength.

"How did I what child? You newborns can be incredibly strong but ridiculously stupid. You're so naïve," Victoria hissed. "I brought you here to fulfill my promise. I told you I would torture you until you died. Yes, I know, I've done the second part, but I don't feel right not being thorough with my promise." She came back to stand in front of Bella, leaning in close, gripping Bella's chin in her icy hand and holding her head up to look into her eyes. "Another hour or two and your body will be screaming for blood. You will be in more pain than you ever could have imagined possible. And I'm going to watch." She grinned evilly.

"Just… kill me then. Get rid of me…" Bella gasped.

Victoria chuckled. "Where's the fun in that? I'll watch you struggle for a day or two. And when you finally decide to beg for it… maybe then I'll rip your head off. Sound like a deal?" she proposed.

Bella moaned. Where was Jasper? Where was Edward? Was Alice aware of what was happening? Bella could feel herself slipping, quickly, surrendering to this state of weakness that she desperately hoped her body would snap out of. _Edward, wherever you are, come save me. I need you._

Edward and Alice had been in the car for less than half and hour when Alice suddenly went stiff and told Edward to pull over. Edward looked at her quizzically. "What is it Alice? What do you see?" he pleaded. She was blocking her mind from him again, something he hated, and something that prohibited them from being an effective team.

"Edward, you need to go back for Jasper," Alice whispered, her eyes still shut tightly.

Panic shot through Edward. He was grateful she had asked him to pull over. "What do you mean Alice?"

She shook her head as if trying to rid herself of the images she was capturing. "They were attacked before they even started hunting… by Victoria and some other newborns. The newborns are still with Jasper, but Edward…"

Edward didn't hear anything else Alice wanted to say; he had already opened the Volvo door and was shooting into the woods beside the road, running as fast as he had ever ran in his immortal life. His mind ran through millions of scenarios as he ran, through the whys and hows, but none of it seemed to really matter right now. Obviously, Victoria had attacked Rosalie to distract the rest of them, and they walked blindly into her trap.

As the forest flew by him, Edward felt like he was practically flying through the trees. He made it back to the house in a matter of minutes and picked up Jasper and Bella's scent from there. About three miles from the house, Bella's scent disappeared; this disturbed Edward but he fixed his concentration on finding his brother. Jasper's scent was mingled with two fresh scents, equally vulgar and harsh to Edward's senses.

It was easy to sneak up on these two newborns; one was crouched on Jasper's back and the other on his legs. With a leap from the nearest tree, Edward crushed the first vampire's skull with his fist and wrapped his other hand around the second vampire's neck. In a matter of seconds, both vampires slumped over; to be on the safe side, Edward channeled his rage at not finding Bella and snapped the vampire's heads clean off.

A moment of silence ensued as Jasper slowly rose from the ground and brushed the earth from the front of his clothes. He refused to meet Edward's gaze; he couldn't handle this recent failure. So frequently Jasper felt the shame of being the weakest link in their clan, and now his failure had cost them Bella. _Bella_. Thinking about where she was now, the many ways in which Victoria could be torturing her…

"Stop it," Edward spat bitterly. "Could you please stop blaming yourself Jasper? None of us could see this coming, not even Alice. So just… stop. Please?" He sighed and paused for a moment, pinching the bridge on his nose. "Try to concentrate on what needs to be done now, ok? We have to get to Seattle."

Jasper finally looked up at Edward, although the shame was still plain on his face. "Seattle? Why there?"

"I got a glimpse of these… minds before I snapped their heads off," Edward grunted, gesturing towards the decapitated stone bodies beside them. "Victoria turned them in some boathouse last week and that's where I think she's taken…" Edward carried off, his thoughts echoing Jasper's, wondering the amount of torture Victoria would be inflicting on her.

Jasper put his hand on Edward's shoulder reassuringly. "Well let's go then. I'll call Alice on the way and see if she can help us with anything," he spoke seriously, taking note of Edward's onyx eyes and the screaming rage that was brewing in them. "But something tells me you'll be able to handle this one on your own."


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER: **These wonderful creatures aren't mine, but Stephenie Meyer's. Thanks for letting me play with them for a while!!

Bella's mind was lost in a delirium. Time and place lost meaning to her; she had no idea how long she had been in this little prison. Smell seemed to be the only sense still on her side. She could smell the stinging saltwater from somewhere outside, the musky smell of the damp wood all around her, and the faintest hints of blood in constant motion beyond this boathouse. Those slight and faint aromas were teasing to Bella; if only she could muster the strength to free herself… she would willingly go out and attack whatever was moving out there, whether it be man, woman, or child. Bella's thirst was driving her insane, absolutely crazy.

The pain stung at her, jabbed like a million stakes in her skin. She wanted to scream but even screaming took too much energy that she didn't have. Victoria was still nearby, Bella could sense her prowling. At some point in this cruel torture, Victoria had actually managed to bite Bella, several times, though not too harshly; just deeply enough for her venom to sink through Bella, increasing the stinging sensation throughout her body. But that itching pain was nothing compared to the thirst that was eating at her from the inside out. From deep inside, Bella reached down and gargled out a shrill, piercing scream, broadcasting her suffering throughout the boathouse and the pier beyond.

Not too far from Bella's prison Edward and Jasper were combing through the docks of Seattle. A phone call from Alice gave them the general direction, but Bella could be in any of these loading crates, boat houses, or warehouses that lined the docks. Edward listened to the thoughts of everyone has passed, hoping one of them may have seen Bella's arrival but the mind reading didn't help. Wherever Bella was, she had been there for hours now; none of these people would have seen her arrive, or remember if they had.

Jasper quickened his pace to keep up with his brother as they weaved through the clusters of tourists on the docks. He felt tiny patters of rain on his back and glanced up, grateful that the clouds had given them the cover to be out on the streets of Seattle in the late afternoon. Jasper was trying to focus on the emotions that were clouding the area; most of these people here were happy, calm, and peaceful. Jasper was feeling for that one set of emotions, the ones that would scream out to him in pain and thirst. Aside from breaking down the door of every boathouse and warehouse, this was their best plan.

"Anything yet?" Edward mumbled to Jasper. It was hard trying to keep the panic out of his voice. He felt like he had back in the clearing after Victoria had bitten Bella: utterly helpless and responsible for Bella's painful situation.

Jasper kept his lips in a firm line. _Not yet, Edward. You'll see the second I do_, Jasper thought. This frustrated both of them. Here they had these incredible, supernatural powers and neither of them was helping at the moment.

Edward growled and continued to half-run at a noticeably inhuman pace. _Slow down! We'll have issues with these humans before we even get a chance to find Bella_, Jasper tried to warn him. But it didn't matter; even if they did look suspicious, these humans instinctively knew to stay away from them. They simply felt dangerous to them.

Suddenly Edward issued a vulnerable whimper. Jasper glanced up to see why and immediately felt Edward losing hope and falling into a more deeply set panic; they had reached the end of the dock and still no Bella. Edward bent over in a low crouch and put his face in his hands, shaking violently.

Jasper couldn't see or feel his brother like this, so _weak_. "Edward, Alice is certain she saw Bella in this area. Let's just go back and look again," he whispered. There were no humans this far down the dock to stare at them now. Jasper could see that Edward was unrelenting in his guilt, so he channeled whatever hope he had left towards him. At least it calmed his shaking. Jasper leaned forward and put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "One more walk of the dock, come on, let's go."

Complying this time, with the help of Jasper's hope running through him, Edward stood up and wiped the rain off his face. "You're right," he mumbled as they began to walk to the beginning of the dock. "I can't believe I was just going to sit there and… give up." Disappointed ran rampant in his speech.

_You would never give up on Bella, I know you wouldn't ever do that. You've always been the one to save her Edward, don't doubt yourself now_, Jasper thought encouragingly.

"You're right…" Edward began, then stopped quickly. Jasper had stopped about a foot behind him, bent over at the waist, clutching his torso. "Jasper, what?" Edward tracked back and leaned over his brother, whispering so softly that not even the woman passing them could hear him.

Jasper's face was contorted in pain, his eyes were weary and exhausted.

"Bella?" Edward inquired.

_It has to be,_ Jasper thought, then doubled back over in pain. _Oh god, Edward, we have to find her. This is excruciating_.

Jasper didn't need to finish. Edward could see the pain in his mind and his body shook with anger. "Do you think you can stand, Jasp?"

_Edward, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can go any closer to those… emotions. I won't be able to do anything_. Edward nodded in response; he had a feeling that it would come to this, an final showdown with Victoria. "Which way?"

Jasper raised his head slightly and glanced toward the left. There, between the clusters of tourists walking the dock was a small opening between an ice cream stand and a decorative loading crate. _Down that way, to the right is a boathouse. In there_.

Edward would have asked if his brother would be ok, but he knew Jasper would be. "Call Alice, tell her to bring the car and Carlisle."

And with that last order, Edward swept across the width of the dock and passed into the shadows of the alley. The clouds overhead had grown darker; there was a bigger storm on its way now.

In the boathouse, Bella's head hung weakly and her arms had sagged long ago, barely able to support their own weight against her bearings. Her beautiful porcelain skin now looked a sallow gray; though she couldn't see them, she was sure her eyes were a fiery red. Nothing was comprehensible anymore; Victoria had come and gone in the tiny space, teasing her every time she left and torturing her every time she came back. Bella could smell the blood on Victoria's lips and wanted so badly to take a snap at her… if only she weren't so weak.

Bella had no idea how long she had been captive. She stopped wondering if Edward or any of the Cullens were coming for her. Her thirst had taken over her body and her mind, weakening every single bit of her.

And then, like night turning into day, the atmosphere of the tiny boathouse changed. Bella could sense another presence now, she could hear the door being beaten down, and instinctively she wanted to raise her body towards this being. But she was held securely by her bounds and let herself simply hang and slouch in her chair. Maybe she was dreaming, after all. Maybe it _was_ possible for a vampire to die from starvation… she had never really asked and apparently now she was going to find out.

Then he spoke. "You _are_ going to die this time, you foolish, ridiculous woman."

His voice echoed in Bella's brain; lovely and dangerous velvet wrapped around every bit of her mind, awakening her from this cloud of thirst and pain. Her eyes snapped open and though her vision was hazy, she could see her angel coming towards her.

Victoria was behind Bella, snaking her arms around Bella's shoulder and inching her mouth closer to her neck. "Oh Eddie, you are such a sad, tortured romantic immortal," she laughed. "Now you know how it feels, don't you? Feeling like your entire reason for being, your _eternity_ is being snatched away from you. Because that's what you took from _me_," Victoria breathed, her breath heavy with the scent of human blood blowing in front of Bella's face.

Bella couldn't help but emit a gurgle of _need_ for that scent. Her sound was painful and terrifying to Edward, but he would not show his fear in front of this monster.

"James tried to claim something that was never his. And you know, I'm pretty sure he didn't care about you all that much in the first place. So why you're wasting all your time to avenge his death is beyond me," Edward spoke, anger and intensity in every syllable.

Victoria snarled at his response and sunk her teeth into Bella's neck. The venom coursed through Bella once more, causing her to scream out in pain and pull against her restraints. It was the first time she had the strength to do so, and she knew, as sick as it sounded, she was getting that strength from Edward's presence.

Edward couldn't hold himself back as he saw Victoria sink her glistening white teeth into his lover's neck. An uncontrollable hatred and fury raged through him; he took a giant leap and within less than a second he landed behind Victoria's back. Victoria hadn't even had a chance to look up from her prey's neck when it happened; Edward wrapped his cold, hard hands around both sides of Victoria's face and jerked quickly.

Victoria's head was rolling on the ground before Bella's cry of pain was finished. Edward reached into his pocket, his hands still shaking relentlessly, and looked around wildly for something dry in the boathouse. Not far to his left were empty, woven sacks that he grabbed and laid across the corpse of the monster. With one flick of the lighter from his pocket, the sacks began to burn.

Turning his attention back to his love, his sweet Bella, Edward put his hands over her wrists where she was bound. In seconds, the iron crumbled beneath his grip and Bella's arms swung down. He caught her arms and lifted her from the chair, cradling her in his arms. She was so weak, so empty and dark inside; Edward thought he could never feel worse than the moment Bella died in his arms, but this was coming close.

Bella moved in his arms, shifting herself to bury her face in Edward's chest. There had never been a moment in his entire immortal life that Edward had wanted to cry more than now. To shed tears of sadness, regret, happiness; it was all he wanted right now. He carried Bella to the door of the boathouse and, stepping out into the mist, he was greeted by Alice.

Alice's face was grim when she saw Bella in Edward's arms. _I know you won't want to believe me now, but she's going to be ok. Everything is going to be ok now_, Alice thought. Edward nodded, wanting badly to believe this. He clung tightly to Bella's body which had noticeably gone stiff. He glanced down the alleyway where he could see Jasper standing at the entrance, guarding it somewhat.

"You're right, we can't take her back that way," Edward agreed, listening to Alice's thoughts once more. He looked down at the weak angel in his arms. "But how do we get her…?"

"Carlisle is renting a boat right now," Alice murmured. "He'll bring it up around the side of the dock here and we'll take it across the bay to the woods on the other side."

"Alice, I don't know if she can make it to the woods without feeding. She's already slipping…" Edward spoke in a hushed tone, worry flooding his face once more.

"Already thought of that," she said, finally giving her brother a faint smile. "There will be some… small treats in the boat for her when Carlisle gets here."

Edward felt a wave of gratitude towards his sister, and his entire family at that moment. The bonds between the Cullens was so strong, so full of love, that they would do anything to protect each other. Edward could never imagine being part of another family better than this one. He thought back to just last week, living in the preserves of the Midwest, alone and depressed. Edward silently vowed to never return to a place like that, ever again. It was time he stuck with his family now, time he taught his lover how to live this life… time for him to settle down for eternity with the love of his existence.

**A/N: **Almost done guys! One more chapter : ) Sorry this one is so long, but thanks for reading and giving me your reviews & favs. PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING!!


	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER: **Thank you, Stephenie Meyer, for letting me play with your characters for this story. They are not MINE, but it's been wonderful playing with them : )

The journey back to the Cullen home was a giant blur for Bella. She didn't remember much after Edward had lifted her from the boathouse. She slightly recalled him snapped the necks of several small animals and holding them to her mouth so she could feed, but she didn't remember where she was. But it didn't matter; she was in Edward's arms and he was whispering in her ear, kissing her neck, her wrists, everything. That had been nice, for a while, Edward taking care of her. Bella could imagine their future together being somewhere along these lines; satisfying their thirsts, being intimate with each other, except she wouldn't be so weak in the future.

Bella vaguely remembered the small hunt that continued once the boat reached the far side of the bay. Within the trees, Bella stalked, attacked, and drank from almost every animal she could find. Her bloodthirst was wild and completely out of check; the Cullens flanked her on every side so she wouldn't get too out of control. Finally, Bella reached a point that, even though her body still felt weak, she was full, mentally stronger, and competent now. But she still wasn't quite _Bella_ yet.

Emmett greeted them where the woods met the road on the far side from the bay in his Jeep. "Bella!" he called from the driver's seat, a grin spreading on his face from ear to ear. "You look… dead tired," he joked. Bella simply snarled at him.

Edward gave him a warning glare. "Please Emmett, not now."

"Sure, sure. She's pretty damn feisty for having just fed you know," Emmett commented as Alice climbed into the passenger seat beside him. Edward, Bella, and Jasper crawled into the back. Carlisle left to bring the boat back to the marina; he would drive back from there and meet them at home.

"Yeah and it's not like anything terrifying or immortality-threatening happened to her today," growled Jasper.

Alice turned to stare at him from the front seat, surprised by his angry response. "Are you okay, Jasp?" she asked quietly.

Jasper nodded, hesitant; he stole a quick glance at Edward to see if he was listening to his thoughts, but his brother was more concerned with Bella at the moment. Jasper couldn't help but stare as he watched Edward hold Bella in his arms, the way Bella clung onto his neck with her tiny arms and buried her head in his chest. He could hear his brother whispering to her, a lullaby perhaps, but it was so soft- meant only for Bella.

"Jasper," Alice prompted again, pulling him out of his gaze. "Was it that bad? For her I mean?"

Jasper could only nod his head. "It was bad for me too Alice. The pain that Bella experienced today… I would give anything as long as I never have to feel that kind of pain again. I thought _I _was going to die, and I was sure I've been through worse," Jasper whispered, hanging his head, shameful of having this kind of weak reaction to today's events.

Alice could sense her partner's pain, his struggle with feeling such weak emotions; she knew how badly things like this tore him apart. So she unbuckled her seatbelt, climbed into the backseat and crawled into Jasper's arms. He held her tightly and buried his face in her spiky hair while Alice let her face nestle into the crook in his neck.

"It's ok Jasper, everything is good now. Bella is going to get better and she's going to be a strong member of our family… just like you," Alice whispered into his neck. "And we're going to stick together now…the Cullens and the Hales and we're going to protect each other."

Jasper grinned at the idea of their family together forever; everyone was complete, they each had their soul mates beside them. There was nothing that could shake the foundation of their family ever again. "And we'll all live happily ever after," he laughed, pulling Alice closer. She giggled in his arms.

Emmett took a glance in his rearview mirror at the cuddling couples in his backseat. He groaned loudly, interrupting both the moments occurring. "Do you guys think you could at least wait til we get home? I just had the leather replaced back there!"

When they arrived back at the house, Edward still would not release Bella from his grasp. The drive had been good for her; she now felt like _Bella_ and she still felt full from the hunt earlier.

"Edward, put me down! I can walk you know!" Bella protested as Edward carried her up the stairs.

"Sure you can, but I happen to like this way better," he grinned at her.

They had passed Esme and Rosalie on their way in. Rosalie looked slightly paler than usual but other than that Bella couldn't see anything outwardly wrong with her. She wasn't sure what Victoria had done to Rosalie, but she was glad she was doing better. Esme and Rosalie both greeted the return party, excited that the family was all together again, and safe. Emmett had gone straight to Rosalie, wrapped her in his arms, and pressed his lips firmly against hers. And Bella felt happy and comforted by this sight; everyone was home, everyone was with their _other_, everything would be okay.

Upstairs in Edward's room, he gently laid Bella down on his bed, scooting beside her and letting his body line up against hers. As his lips found hers, his hands worked their way around her body, slowly removing her clothes piece by piece. When he pulled back, Bella gasped; kissing Edward was still so intoxicating for her that she was completely unaware that he had rendered her naked.

"Well excuse me Mr. Cullen, but what seems to be the situation here?" she asked bashfully. Bella still felt somewhat shy being so exposed to Edward like this, but she made no move to cover herself.

Edward grinned, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Besides the fact that your clothes smelled like dirty ground and _her_," Edward hissed, took a moment and composed himself, "Sorry. I thought you'd like to celebrate your, er… return."

"Then I guess it's only fair for you to come equally dressed for the occasion," Bella grinned, grabbing hold of the back of Edward's sweater and essentially tearing it off of him.

Edward laughed. "Was that really necessary? I _know_ you're strong," he whispered to her, rolling them to the side so he was hovering over her. "You don't have to prove it to me by tearing my clothes to shreds."

The corners of Bella's lips twitched upwards and she suddenly threw her weight, rolling them again so now she was on top, resting her light weight on Edward's torso. "I'll try to remember that next time," she laughed back. Then her face went slightly serious as she sat up taller, letting her hands trace patterns on his hard chest. "Edward?"

He scooted her further back onto his legs and sat himself up slightly, wrapping his arms around her waist and giving her his smoldering stare. "Tell me what you're thinking Bella."

"I'm thinking…" she began, then considered what she was about to say. "I'm thinking that you are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me in my life. I know the only reason I'm here, like _this_, is because of Victoria," she whispered, afraid to look at him but unable to look anywhere else but his sad, ocher eyes.

"I know," he said quietly. "I'll never forgive myself for letting her do this to you."

"No, stop, that's exactly what I mean," Bella said, putting two fingers to his lips to hush his retort. "You never… _ever_ would have turned me. That's why you left me in the first place, isn't it?"

Edward sighed, letting his head hang with sadness. "I was never right for you Bella. And apparently my leaving didn't do any good anyway. So what's the point?"

Bella took his face in her hands and forced him to look up at her. "The point is that I don't want you to feel guilty anymore. Just let what is… be. Stop holding yourself responsible. I know it pisses you off that Victoria changed me, but it happened, and I never thought I would say this, but I'm so happy to be dead with you right now." She laughed slightly, trying to lighten his mood.

"Bella, how can I forgive myself for all the pain you've been through… because of me? Even after you became a vampire, I still failed you-"

"Stop! Edward, stop it! If you're going to waste our eternity together acting like a little brat because of this, I will leave _you_," Bella spoke this empty threat with a hard edge to her voice. Maybe she could scare him into not feeling guilty; of course she would never, ever dream of leaving her Edward.

His eyes gave away his shock even though the rest of his face remained calm. "Well, if that's how you feel…" he tried to push Bella off of him, but she was stronger.

She leaned closer to him grinning. "Oh Edward, you can't seriously believe I'd leave you, do you?"

He shrugged lightly. "It didn't take you long to believe me in September."

She shook her head. "That was… different. I was so scared of losing you. And now I'm an unavoidable foundation in your life. _Forever_," she whispered in his ear, flicking her tongue out to the soft skin there.

Edward groaned. "You could never leave me… because you'd miss this too much."

They laughed and Bella pulled away from his neck to speak seriously to him. "Promise me you won't let this guilt weigh you down anymore. Promise me, right here, right now that you will accept the fact that I'm a vampire and that I'm happy with you."

Edward brushed his hand along her cheek and pulled her as close as their bodies would allow; it was difficult for Bella not to devour his lips now since they were practically touching already. "I know I've broken promises to you before Bella, but this one I swear to you I'll keep… on one condition."

Inwardly Bella groaned. Edward and his _conditions_. "Anything to keep you for forever," she whispered.

"Marry me, Bella. Become my Mrs. Cullen. Be my best friend and my lover… for eternity," he breathed.

Bella couldn't help but gasp and close the distance between their lips. When she finally pulled away, her eyes were glowing a brilliant shade of scarlet, not evil but passionate. "I thought you'd never ask Mr. Cullen."

**_FIN_**

**A/N: **Sorry for the lame ending, I hope you enjoyed it though! Next up I'm going to try a bit of a lemony outtake from this story : ) I'm going to try different character stories next as well, so check my profile for more info on those. Thanks again SO MUCH for reading this story and reviewing, especially quietandclear, Topaz Fireheart Storm, and mom22boys- you guys kept me going. THANK YOU AGAIN! Come back for more soon : )


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